Mission

The goal of the Green Labs Program is to work with partner labs to maximize sustainability and safety initiatives while minimizing impact on vital research performed by each lab.

Necessity

CU Anschutz houses over 1 million square feet of research laboratory space which is equivalent to more than 17 football fields! Due to the process-heavy nature of research, laboratories at CU Anschutz are the most resource intensive spaces on campus, accounting for more than 40% of campus energy use. Beyond energy, labs also consume high volumes of water, chemicals, equipment, and PPE. Additionally, labs produce hazardous waste which can be expensive and toxic to safely dispose of.

The CU Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to improving human health. Labs have an outsized impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, waste production, and water use. The consumption of these resources negatively impacts climate change, landfill capacity, and resource availability. To better preserve human health, in addition to their research, labs can partner with the CU Anschutz Green Labs program to minimize this environmental impact.

Model

The Green Labs Program was started in August 2024. As a new program, our aim is to start with small pilot projects that can be scaled up or modified based on success. Please sign up for our newsletter to stay current on green labs projects.

Communicate

Keep up to date with the Green Labs Program by signing up for the CU Anschutz Green Labs newsletter.

Contact Derek Cooper to find out how your lab may participate: derek.cooper@cuanschutz.edu.