Green Labs | Faculty of Science and Engineering

In June 2021 Green Labs RUG was founded at the University of Groningen (UG) to improve the carbon impact, energy consumption and sustainability of laboratories. Currently at the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) approximately 50 tons of plastic are produced annually (1762 active lab researchers, based on calculations from 2023). Furthermore at FSE per publication about 68 tons of CO₂e are emitted, equaling to annual emissions of about 9 tons per person (2889) and 0.19 tons per m 2.

With Green Labs RUG we provide hands-on advice to labs covering disciplines such as biology, chemistry, computational science, engineering, life sciences, materials sciences, medicine, pharmacy, and physics. 

Laboratories can be improved through audits and get accredited either bronze, silver or gold through the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) by University College London.

In October 2023 a total of 46 laboratories have been accredited leading to a reduced carbon impact equaling to annual savings of 398 763 € as well as 477.1 tons of CO₂e, which correspond to savings of 10 372 kg of CO₂e and 8669 € per lab per year.

For further information and hands-on measures:

Guidebook for sustainability in laboratories:
Published at ACS Green Chemistry Teaching and Learning community:
https://doi.org/10.59877/FCXC3888
https://gctlc.org/guidebook-for-susta...

Updated version control under ChemRxiv:
https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-202...