Green Labs

UVA’s labs are renowned for their topnotch research, and now they can claim the top spot globally for achieving environmentally sustainable freezer practices.

A team of UVA and University of California at San Francisco researchers surveyed surgeons’ perspectives on operating room waste and found that an overwhelming majority acknowledged contributing to waste and were willing to adjust their workflow to reduce waste.

Olivia Regehr has been an intern with UVA’s Green Labs program since August 2021. She is an Environmental Thought and Practice major with Global Sustainability and Bioethics minors. She is passionate about climate change adaptation, mitigation and geoengineering strategies, global and corporate sustainability, and advocating for environmental justice. Her main projects with the Green Labs program include promoting the Shut the Sash Challenge, the International Freezer Challenge and Green Lab Certification for research labs.

In 2019, the Peirce-Cottler Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering was one of the first labs at UVA to become certified as a Green Lab. Now, it’s the first lab to be recertified, and the longest continuously UVA certified lab thanks to their leadership and commitment to sustainability.

UVA's labs contribute to substantially in all areas of research nationally and globally. They also contribute significantly to UVA's carbon footprint. Our Green Labs Specialist walks through the many ways labs can reduce energy use and costs.

The University’s lab spaces are a crucial environment to make sustainability progress due to their abundant energy, water, and material use. Through both the Green Labs program, which focuses on outreach and engagement, and the Smart Labs program, which focuses on enhancing lab safety and efficiency, we are reimagining our lab spaces to create a culture of sustainability.

Researchers participating in the “Shut the Sash Challenge” saved an estimated $2,800 in energy costs in one month. The challenge is hosted by the Office for Sustainability to promote safe and sustainable fume hood management practices in labs across Grounds.