Labs use 5-10x more energy than office spaces and produce significant amounts of plastic and hazardous waste. To address the rising area of importance, the Sustainable Lab Summit aims to bring researchers together to share best practices and create lasting networks. The full day event will cover topics related to reducing single use plastics, freezer optimization, environmental justice, and the intersection between safety and sustainability.

The summit will open with addresses from the Office of the Vice President for Research's Arthur Lupia - Interim Vice President for Research and Innovation - and Geoff Thün - Associate Vice President of Social Sciences, Humanities, and the Arts. There will also be a keynote speech from Allison Paradise, the founder of My Green Lab. Other highlights of the event are a zero waste, low carbon breakfast and lunch, a tabling/poster session, an awards ceremony for sustainability champions, and a lab swap event.

The event is free and open to any U-M research student, staff, or faculty member. Please email sustainable-labs@umich.edu with questions.