green labs

91��ý Signs Commitment to Green Chemistry Education

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:05:21 +0000

91��ý Signs Commitment to Green Chemistry Education Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/31/2026 - 08:05

Chemistry labs at 91��ý are using fewer toxic chemicals, less material, and shifting how students learn. 91��ý’s chancellor and Department of Chemistry chair signed the Green Chemistry Commitment in 2025. This is a huge step toward integrating green chemistry education into CU campus curriculums and aligning chemistry instruction with the university’s broader Climate Action Plan. Local radio station KGNU recently published an article highlighting the green chemistry actions taken by the Department of Chemistry and collaborative efforts involving the 91��ý Green Labs Program.

The chemistry teaching labs have implemented many sustainable practices:

changing experiments to those that use less toxic chemicals
collecting, distilling and re-using acetone
recirculating water when cooling
micro-scaling chemical usage in titration experiments
and installing no-touch door handles to reduce glove waste.

Students are taking notice of these green improvements and eager for more. In a survey of over 1200 students, 89% want to learn more about green chemistry, 73% want more green chemistry in classrooms and 52% would take a dedicated green chemistry course.

With over 5000 students in chemistry classes each semester, these programs become increasingly important to inspiring the next generation of scientists and researchers.

With the signing of the Green Chemistry Commitment, students will have more opportunity to learn about green chemistry and turn interest into action by getting involved with campus sustainability efforts. Asking your chemistry professors about incorporating green chemistry into lectures can help increase momentum, and attending the student-led Environmental board meetings with the Environmental Center is also a great way to get involved. Students can also join the board’s subcommittee on green chemistry education. To learn more about how to get involved email eboard@colorado.edu. Together, these small actions can create meaningful change and help build a more sustainable future for chemistry education at 91��ý.

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New Chemical Sharing Initiative will help 91��ý labs save money and reduce hazardous waste

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:00:36 +0000

New Chemical Sharing Initiative will help 91��ý labs save money and reduce hazardous waste Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/31/2026 - 08:00

A Chemical Sharing Initiative, launched by Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) and the 91��ý Green Labs Program, will help labs reduce the need to purchase chemicals, save research funding, and the time needed to acquire chemicals. A study from the Journal of Chemical Health & Safety found that out of 32 schools with a chemical sharing program, 15% saved $50 to $31,456 per year, with 18% of schools reporting savings of $15,000.

Through the use of a feature on the campus’ existing chemical inventory software (SciShield ChemTracker), lab members can search for chemicals within their building and request to share them instead of ordering new supplies. Lab members can learn more about lab sharing procedures through this informational document.

Since the start of 2026, staff from EH&S and Green Labs have been visiting laboratory buildings every two weeks to share information on the initiative and provide training on how labs can use the chemical inventory software to find chemicals they need. The Chemical Sharing program has been introduced to WILD, SEEC & SEEL, JSCBB, Benson and Cristol/Ekeley. Two additional launch events are planned this semester. Orientations are typically from 3-4 pm on the selected dates listed below.

April 9th: Ramaley Biology, Gold Biosciences, & Porter Biosciences
April 23rd: Engineering Center

Missed the orientation for your building? Have a green lab success story to share? Email us at greenlabs@colorado.edu.

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Lab Clean-Up Pilot Helps Researchers Purge Items from Lab Spaces

Jenna Morrow — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:52:38 +0000

Lab Clean-Up Pilot Helps Researchers Purge Items from Lab Spaces Jenna Morrow Tue, 03/31/2026 - 07:52

Over 800 laboratory items and over 1000 chemicals were removed from lab spaces during a recent lab cleanup effort. In summer 2025, the 91��ý Green Labs Program led a Lab Clean-up Pilot event in three large campus lab buildings (Ramaley, Porter, and Gold) in collaboration with key campus partners (Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), Property Services, Property Accounting, property managers, building managers, and researchers). The goal was to provide lab members with a simplified and fast process to purge items they no longer needed from their research labs. From a sustainability perspective, 91��ý Green Labs was interested in the pilot to help shift lab spaces being used for storage back into spaces for research. Given that laboratories are one of the most energy-intensive spaces on campus due to ventilation needs, efforts to keep lab spaces focused on research benefits energy efficiency, and is aligned with lab space optimization goals included in the campus Climate Action Plan.

To drop-off a lab item:

complete an EH&S Green Tag Sticker
fill out an online form to provide information on the item being dropped off.

Chemicals containing barcodes that were already within the campus chemical inventory system can also be dropped off.

Two drop-off locations were staffed by student employees of Green Labs for 3 weeks with additional support from EH&S. Pilot funding for student staffing was provided by a grant from I&R Sustainability. Over the course of 3 weeks, roughly 800 lab items and 1,005 chemicals were dropped off by lab members. Lab members were also allowed to “shop” for items and chemicals they wanted. EH&S transferred requested chemicals from one lab inventory to another and roughly 30 pieces of equipment were redistributed to labs.

At future Lab Clean-up events, Green Labs plans to do more to help repurpose useful lab items and chemicals and encourage lab members to consider nominating unneeded items sooner to the Green Labs Core for re-distributions before they become obsolete.

If you would like to see a future Lab Clean-Up event held in your lab building, reach out to greenlabs@colorado.edu.

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Chemistry Teaching Labs Donate Science Glassware to Local Schools

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:48:52 +0000

Chemistry Teaching Labs Donate Science Glassware to Local Schools Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/31/2026 - 07:48

Thousands of 91��ý glassware items found a new home in local public school classrooms, supporting over 6,200 students!

When the 91��ý General Chemistry Teaching Labs prepared for a lab renovation, they decided to partner with 91��ý Green Labs program to redistribute the surplus of usable basic chemistry glassware to local schools. This effort reduces waste from campus labs and expands science resources for hands-on learning in local schools. Green Labs worked with the Chemistry Property Manager and Campus Property Services to get the glassware approved for donation from campus. Over fall break 2025, 170 hundred boxes of glassware were picked up by local public schools in the Boulder Valley School District and Adams 12 Five Star Schools. The donated glassware included thousands of beakers, flasks, and graduate cylinders, along with a variety of other useful items including funnels, stir rods, tongs, tweezers, strikers, thermometers, and scoops. Boulder Valley School District has distributed portions of the 159 boxes of donated glassware to 21 middle and high schools, with 4,222 students in the classrooms receiving materials. Mountain Range High School and Northglenn High School, within the Adams 12 Five Star Schools District, received 11 boxes of glassware that are now supporting an estimated 2,000 students across a range of science classes.

Does your lab have surplus glassware and lab items that could be of benefit to others? Reach out to the Green Labs Core (greenlabscore@colorado.edu) to see if those items could be made available to labs on campus or local nonprofits.

Thousands of 91��ý glassware items found a new home in local public school classrooms, supporting over 6,200 students!

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Driving Sustainability in 91��ý's General Chemistry Teaching Labs

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:06:19 +0000

Driving Sustainability in 91��ý's General Chemistry Teaching Labs Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/12/2025 - 11:06

Did you know that thousands of students pass through 91��ý’s General Chemistry Teaching Labs every semester? As a result, small actions for efficiency by each student adds up to large impacts. The staff of the 91��ý General Chemistry Teaching Lab Program have been paying attention to find and implement modifications for sustainability in the teaching labs.

We sat down to speak with Estrella Lastre, Lab Coordinator II in the Department of Chemistry, to learn about the sustainability geared changes that have been made. Lastre explains that, “We get to see these experiments happen hundreds of times each semester, and taking time to observe those larger patterns matters when you’re trying to reduce waste.” Lab Coordinators for the General Chemistry Teaching Labs complete safety checks during each lab period. Completing a brief walk through over 100 lab sections each week provides a macro view of the program - helping Lastre and her team identify what adaptations or changes can be made without lessening the students' learning experience. Lastre attributes being physically present in the lab space as a key part of how their team has found opportunities to reduce waste. They are seeing first hand what excess materials are being disposed of during each period, or when the trash cans or hazardous waste in lab rooms are filling up quickly with a particular item.

By applying a practical approach to obtaining increased sustainability, the 91��ý General Chemistry Teaching Labs have been able to implement numerous actions leading to more efficient use of materials.

Re-usable in-lab manuals reduce paper use by 90%: Instead of 2000 students per semester purchasing individual lab manuals, the teaching labs provide in-lab copies and online manuals for students to use. Beyond the paper savings, this effort is saving students money and increasing safety by reducing the likelihood that students bring home contaminated materials with them.
Re-use of foam cups reduces foam waste by more than 80%: During the Mole Ratios experiment in CHEM 1401/CHEM 1114, instead of each lab section getting a new set of foam cups, the cups are re-used between sections. As a result, in Spring 2025 only 60 styrofoam cups were needed between 38 lab sections instead of 380 cups.
Micro-titration set-up significantly reduces chemical use: Instead of each pair of students using hundreds of milliliters of chemicals in the Titration Experiment in CHEM 1134, a switch from an average full-scale titration set-up to a micro-titration procedure reduces chemical uses to only drops per student pair, greatly reducing hazardous waste generation.
Re-use of centrifuge tubes reduces plastic waste by more than 90%: Instead of plastic centrifuge tubes being handled as single-use items by students running a 3-week experiment in CHEM 1134 and 2101, students are taught how to safely clean and re-use tubes across sections of the courses. Without this shift, the experiment could use upwards of 18,000 centrifuge tubes per semester, and instead only ~1,000 tubes are necessary.
Labeling with “re-use” saves materials in labs: In multiple instances, the teaching lab staff have begun to write “re-use” to communicate to students items that can be re-used over and over again such as sandpaper used in CHEM 1401, CHEM 1114, and CHEM 1021. In another example, instead of 50 plastic weigh boats historically being used per lab section during a CHEM 1021 experiment, it was determined that, with minor modifications, the boats could safely be reused for that particular experiment, reducing boat plastic waste by 90%.

What more to look for: Lastre shared how over the course of the next few semesters, new solutions will continue to be implemented to enhance sustainability and learning. For example, one change that has been launched during Fall 2025 is transitioning to digital pre-lab quizzes to eliminate the need for each student to submit a paper copy in-person - amounting to well over 20,000 sheets of paper saved each semester!

The Department of Chemistry has been taking action for sustainability and green chemistry for more than 10 years. Ongoing efforts within the department’s teaching labs are a reflection of the importance of green chemistry education at 91��ý and aligns with 91��ý’s vision to “transform lives in service to a just and sustainable world.”

Did you know that thousands of students pass through 91��ý’s General Chemistry Teaching Labs every semester? As a result, small actions for efficiency by each student adds up to large impacts. The staff of the 91��ý General Chemistry Teaching Lab Program have been paying attention to find and implement modifications for sustainability in the teaching labs.

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The CUSG Energy and Climate Fund brings most energy efficient ULT freezer to 91��ý

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The CUSG Energy and Climate Fund brings most energy efficient ULT freezer to 91��ý Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/25/2024 - 00:00

Utilizing the CUSG Energy and Climate Fund, the Environmental Center and Green Labs set out to replace the three most energy-intensive ultra low temperature (ULT) freezers on campus with new, top performing energy-efficient ULT freezers. After looking at what was available on the market, Green Labs proposed and purchased three of a new model of energy efficient PHCBI VIP ECO SMART Series ULT freezer (model MDF-DU703VH/VHA-PA) which is ~30% more efficient per space in the freezer compared to the next most efficient ULT freezers on the market (according to Energy Star data). Furthermore, this particular ULT freezer model received an Outstanding New Product Award in 2023 by a non-profit organization focused on research sample storage, the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER).

As a result of interest by engaged scientists, instead of just three inefficient ULT freezers, two labs were willing to consolidate samples and retire two additional energy inefficient ULT freezers. Thus, in total, five inefficient ULT freezers that were collectively consuming nearly 170 kWh/day in electricity were replaced with three of these very energy efficient ULT freezers, consuming a combined total of just 15.3 kWh/day. One lab also chose to set the new ULT freezer at -70 ⁰C, which consumes 4.5 kWh/day instead of 5.4 kWh/day at -80 ⁰C, based on manufacturer data.

This one time funding opportunity allowed the Green Labs program to replace five energy inefficient ULT freezers on campus (which were all near the end-of-life) with three very energy efficient ULT freezers utilizing only ~9% of the electricity used by the original five freezers. Having examples of these new efficient freezers on campus is expected to be helpful for energy efficiency efforts as future ULT freezer purchases come up.

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91��ý announces recipients of 2023 Campus Sustainability Awards

Anonymous — Tue, 02 May 2023 06:00:00 +0000

91��ý announces recipients of 2023 Campus Sustainability Awards Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/02/2023 - 00:00

The 26th annual Campus Sustainability awards program recognizes outstanding individuals and departments who demonstrate a sincere commitment to continuing the 91��ý tradition of leadership and student participation in campus sustainability. Awardees exhibit innovation that directly reduces the University's ecological footprint, enhances social cohesion and equity in the campus community, and/or integrates sustainability into the culture of Boulder and our local communities.

This year, there are seven Campus Sustainability awardees:

Karen Bailey, Green Faculty
The Colorado Environmental Justice Digital Storytelling Project, Civic Achievement
Fossil Free CU, Student Leadership
Emily Yeh, Green Faculty
Scott King, Outstanding Alumni
Mountain Research Station, Departmental Achievement
Mortenson Center in Global Engineering and Resilience, Civic Achievement

Three partnership initiatives deserve special recognition:

Climate Across the Curriculum Training, Special Recognition, Partnership for Sustainability
Urban Heat Mapping Project, Special Recognition, Partnership for Sustainability
Buffs One Read, Special Recognition, Partnership for Sustainability

The CU Green Labs Program recognizes three awardees:

MIMIC Core Facility, Partnership for Sustainability
Department of Biochemistry Shared Equipment, Departmental Achievement
CHEM 1021 Green Chemistry Integration, Partnership for Sustainability

Awards will be in the form of a 100% recycled-content plaque presented by campus leadership at the 30th annual Campus Sustainability Summit scheduled for April 19-20, 2023.

Learn more about the Campus Sustainability Awards program and the 2023 awardees.

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91��ý recovers helium - a depleting, irreplaceable resource

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000

91��ý recovers helium - a depleting, irreplaceable resource Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/08/2023 - 00:00

When most people think of helium, they think of balloons, which float as a result of the low density of the inert gas. However, helium has many uses beyond birthday party decorations. Helium plays a critical role in scientific research, medical technology, high-tech manufacturing, space exploration and national defense. Helium’s unique properties – its low boiling point, low solubility, low density and inertness – make it an important resource.

Due to its low density – much lower than air – helium escapes earth’s atmosphere. Most of earth’s helium deposits are underground in natural gas reserves. Unfortunately, according to the American Chemical Society, these finite reserves are being “rapidly depleted.” As a result, there is a need for efficient and economically viable helium recovery.

Luckily, researchers across the world have attempted to offer solutions to this ever-growing problem. At 91��ý, the physics department operates a helium recycling/liquifying facility that received a CU Green Labs Award in 2022. As researchers in physics and JILA use liquid helium, it is captured and sent back to the shop for re-liquefaction, reducing the amount of helium lost and saving the researchers money.

The physics helium liquefier could become a critical resource for keeping research going on campus through enhanced re-use of helium. The physics helium facility at 91��ý is paving the way towards a sustainable helium future and serves as an example for other campuses to follow.

CU's helium recycling facility could pave the way towards helium reuse and recovery.

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Bring on the green chemistry education, please!

Anonymous — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Bring on the green chemistry education, please! Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 04/10/2022 - 00:00

Surveying shows that 91��ý students want access to green chemistry education as part of their chemistry coursework. To begin to fill that void, a pilot to integrate green chemistry into the introductory chemistry course, CHEM 1021, has been underway since the beginning of the spring 2022 semester. This pilot is being led by two student assistants, Brinn Mcdowell and Jan Hu, and is a collaborative effort between the CU Green Labs Program and the Director of Chemistry Instruction and Associate Chair for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, Matthew Wise, PhD.

So, what is green chemistry? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, green chemistry is defined as "the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the generation of hazardous substances."

According to a survey of students in chemistry courses in the fall of 2021, 86% of 91��ý undergraduates expressed interest in learning about green chemistry and 81% wanted to see more green chemistry topics covered in their chemistry curriculum. 58% of students said they would be interested in taking an additional chemistry course specifically on green chemistry and even more students, 69%, indicated that they would select current chemistry courses offered with a green chemistry emphasis over the courses in their present form. In total, three surveys have been conducted in 2018, 2019, and 2021. See a breakdown of more results here.

The 91��ý Chemistry Department has already made strides to green many of its chemistry teaching experiments and labs. Modifications to lab experiments have been implemented to cut back on overall waste and the use of toxic chemicals. However, the chemistry lecture classes have yet to be altered which is the focus of the pilot. Thus far, the pilot has successfully demonstrated that student teaching assistants, with education in chemistry, can research and incorporate engaging content on green chemistry into classes. Importantly, this approach minimizes the time commitment required by faculty to work on this integration and provides chemistry student assistants with an outstanding professional development opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge.

If you are interested in learning more about the pilot, attend the 29th Annual Campus Sustainability Summit- Solutions Showcase 2022 where you can learn more about the results of the surveys conducted, the pilot program itself and the impact the program would have on campus if it secures proper funding. With funding for expansion, the pilot program would have the ability to hire student teaching assistants for introductory, general and organic chemistry classes to focus specifically on incorporating and improving the integration of green chemistry into these core chemistry courses. These courses collectively are taken by thousands of 91��ý students every year from many different majors.

Pilot expansion would have a wide-reaching impact on students while they are getting their education at 91��ý, but also on what these students choose to do once they graduate, as they would leave CU with the knowledge of green chemistry practices and have the ability to enact change that could have a lasting impact on our future.

Surveying shows that 91��ý students want access to green chemistry education as part of their chemistry coursework.

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Luger Lab wins 91��ý Freezer Challenge

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 06:00:00 +0000

Luger Lab wins 91��ý Freezer Challenge Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/25/2018 - 00:00

The Luger Lab, a Biocemistry lab headed by PI Karolin Luger, has won the 91��ý Freezer Challenge, put on by CU Green Labs.

The 91��ý competition happened in conjunction with the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge and offered additional prizes to 91��ý labs participating in the international competition based on how many points they earned on their scoresheets. In all, 23 labs from 91��ý participated in the 2018 International Laboratory Freezer Challenge and together they earned 91��ý Honorable Mention in the competition. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, who took first prize in the International Freezer Challenge, had 40 labs participate in the challenge.

The Luger Lab earned a $100 gift card to a local restaurant of their choice, and they chose Shamane's Bake Shop.

The following labs also received $100 gift cards to local restaurants of their choice.

2nd place - Biochemistry Cell Culture Facility (defending champions from 2017) - etai's
3rd place - Leinwand Lab - MCDB - The Med
4th place - Detweiler Lab - MCDB - The Corner
5th place - Yin Lab - Biochemistry - Potbelly's
6th place - Parker Lab - Biochemistry - Backcountry Pizza

Labs participated from many different departments on campus including CIRES, Integrative Physiology, Physics, the Institute of Behavioral Genetics and Chemical and Biological Engineering. Labs earn points in the freezer challenge by defosting freezers and refridgerators, sharing freezers between labs, attempting room tempertature sample storage, buying new more efficient UltraLow Temperatures freezers and retiring older, less-efficient models and creating or maintaining inventories of the contents of their freezers and refridgerators.

The International Laboratory Freezer Challenge is organized by the non-profits International Institute for Sustainable Labs (I2SL) and my green lab.

"The freezer challenge is about immediate energy efficiency savings, but it's also about resiliency. Performing this regular maintenance on your systems can prevent catastrophic equipment failures," says Christina Greever, CU Green Labs Program Assistant and Outreach Coordinator. In short, she quips, "it's good for energy efficiency, it's good for your freezer unit itself and it's good for science." Greever adds that labs that participate in the Freezer Challenge are on the cutting edge of finding new research solutions and moving away from the risks to research involved with freezer use.

Congratulations to all participating labs!

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green labs

91��ý Signs Commitment to Green Chemistry Education

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91��ý announces recipients of 2023 Campus Sustainability Awards

This year, there are seven Campus Sustainability awardees:

Three partnership initiatives deserve special recognition:

The CU Green Labs Program recognizes three awardees:

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91��ý recovers helium - a depleting, irreplaceable resource

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Bring on the green chemistry education, please!

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Luger Lab wins 91��ý Freezer Challenge

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