GML Seminars

The large energy and resource footprint of laboratories points to the importance of implementing efficiency and sustainability efforts within scientific research. The University of Colorado Boulder Green Labs Program began in 2009 as one of the first green labs programs in the nation. These programs can be found at universities, federal & non-profit research campuses, and, as of recent, even in the private sector at biopharma companies for example. Green labs programs engage scientists to innovate ways to reduce resource consumption in their research and to integrate the use of more sustainable practices and materials. These programs also collaborate with other campus stakeholders to bring forth opportunities for efficiency/sustainability that researchers can participate in such as contests, lab-specific material recycling, green chemistry efforts, and more.

This presentation will provide insight into the large resource consumption of laboratory research, the type of efforts implemented by green labs program, ideas for system change that could lead to ongoing significant impacts, and efforts underway in the world to connect efficiency and sustainability expectations to the funding of science. Information will also be shared about two leading nonprofits in the lab sustainability field, International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) and My Green Lab, including opportunities and tools offered by these organizations.