Winning the “hat trick,” the U of I was honored by the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge as one of the top universities at implementing cold-storage best management practices and reducing energy usage for a third straight year. Twenty-one labs on campus combined to save approximately 263 kWh/day, which is the equivalent energy use of nine average households.
Mohamed Attalla, executive director of F&S, said, “We started our Freezer Challenge program in 2017 as a way to strengthen the sustainability culture in labs and promote the mindset that everyone can make an impact regardless of the size of their lab or research area. This year’s victory among other peer institutions is a credit to all the researchers and students who implemented efficient lab management practices and continued their efforts while adapting to the health and safety protocols required during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
My Green Lab and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) will recognize the university’s three-peat with a newly created “winning streak” honor during a virtual award ceremony held at the I2SL annual conference on Wednesday, October 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. CDT.
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TOP U OF I FREEZER CHALLENGE LABORATORIES include:
Deborah Katz-Downie, Stephen R. Downie Lab – School of Integrative Biology
- Performed general maintenance and defrosted 34 freezers and fridges
- Discarded approximately 30,000 samples
- Shared cold storage sample space with three research groups