The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) has created the LabSavers campaign

to provide resources and encourage public and private lab owners, managers, and researchers to

clean out and evaluate lab space across their research campuses each year in spring, or whenever is

convenient.

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Why conduct a lab clean-out and space assessment?

• Inventory, consolidate, and properly store lab supplies

• Dispose of (or reuse) excess chemicals safely ​

• Repurpose old or unwanted equipment where needed

• Evaluate lab space and storage and optimize for better research efficiency

 

I2SL’s LabSavers tool kit consists of guidelines for conducting a lab clean-out and space evaluation at a research institution, sample materials to promote the campaign in a building or across a campus, and a how-to guide for implementation. Promotional materials include a logo, customizable fliers, a poster, and digital signage for lobby kiosks or mounted TV monitors. The LabSavers program is meant to provide suggestions and templates, but facility managers, green labs professionals, EHS staff, and research or student leaders should tailor the program and customize the materials to fit their buildings and participants.

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We’d love to hear about how you used these resources to conduct lab clean-out/space evaluation and how the effort went, especially if you also changed how lab space is being used and saved the need for new construction or additions. You can share your results and before-and-after photos with I2SL to info@i2sl.org, and we can share your case study.

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Looking for an example of a lab clean-out and space evaluation? Watch this talk presented by Suzann Staal and Ethan Carter of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus during I2SL’s 2024 Education Week.