Hello Paul,

Congratulations on your 2023 Freezer Challenge award! My name is Rachel, I'm a writer for Lab Manager, and I am working with My Green Lab on an article featuring this year's winners. (You can view last year's article here.)

You previously indicated you would like to participate in an interview for the article. If that is still the case, I invite you to reply to this email with answers to the questions listed below by Monday, October 23rd. If you think you will need more time for review or would prefer to respond to the questions in a call, please let me know. 

For this year's article, we are focusing content around the themes of leadership, empowerment, cultural change, and community engagement. In particular, we're exploring how organizational strategies for the first two can drive and be driven by shifts in the latter two as they pertain to sustainability goals and from the perspective of the Freezer Challenge. The questions below are a starting point, please feel free to skip over questions you would prefer not to answer or add additional comments you believe are relevant. 

1. In an environment where resources are usually limited, how did you motivate and lead your labs/teams to prioritize and achieve sustainability goals in the lab?
2. How have the successes from the freezer challenge spilled over into other areas of your university, creating a broader sense of community around sustainability?
3. Do you think your participation in and winning of the Freezer Challenge has prompted leadership at your university to set more ambitious resource-reduction targets or strengthened investment in laboratory sustainability efforts?
4. Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about how your university approached the Freezer Challenge this year or its overall impact?

Once the article is drafted, you will have an opportunity to review the relevant content for accuracy. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you very much,

Rachel

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Hello Madhu,

The interview questions in the thread below ask for leadership perspectives, and I am wondering if you would be willing to say a few words for this article to be published in Lab Manager Journal?

Specifically:

#2- Our campus has a widespread sense of community around sustainability and the freezer challenge uniquely demonstrates how efficient sample-management reduces green-house gas emissions, optimizes cold storage space      utilization, and increases equipment longevity while providing significant energy savings across campus. These successful impacts place potential opportunities under the microscope for researchers to take a closer look at other environmentally friendly changes are available in their labs.

#3- The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign’s ability to continually place among the top performing academic institutions reflects support from a large number of researchers and commitment to sustainable sample management. 

You could mention the green research committee and the charge you, Dr. Martinis and Ehab have put in place and what sustainable labs may look like in the near future?

#4 – Do you have a perspective on the overall impact of the success we have had with the freezer Challenge?

OR

Please feel free to respond to the questions below and forward them to me at your convenience before Oct 23rd.

Thank you 

Paul Foote

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Hello Madhu,

I am just sending this as a reminder, if you would like to respond?

Best

Paul Foote

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Hi Paul

Yes I would be happy to send you a quote by the 23rd.

Best

Madhu

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Terrific, thank you!

Best

Paul Foote

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for joining us and celebrating the terrific work accomplished during this year’s Freezer Challenge event!

I have attached an itinerary to familiarize yourself with todays activities.

Reminder:

                If rain is present after 130 we will move 2 buildings to the west inside the Stock Pavilion for this event.

If NOT raining meet outside IBRL 1300 west Pennsylvania Ave. Urbana

If rain is imminent meet at Stock Pavilion 1402 west Pennsylvania Ave. Urbana

See you all there!

Best

Paul Foote

Please see the included link to a F&S Newsletter on the 2023 Freezer Challenge

From Kathy's Mailbag in today's News-Gazette:

“I'm wondering if Styrofoam recycling will stop when the Dart Container plant closes at the end of the year. Our community Styrofoam recycling program is one of just six in the state, with the other 5 located in the Chicago area. Will this program be saved for our community?”

Michael Westerfield, Dart Container Corporation’s vice president for sustainability, notified the City of Champaign that the community Styrofoam recycling program hosted by Dart will remain in operation until Sept. 29.

Nichole Millage, the City of Champaign’s environmental sustainability specialist, said at this time she is not aware of any other companies or recycling processors in the area that have the equipment (densifier) to recycle Styrofoam. “If new options become available, I will make sure folks are aware.”

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Hi Morgan and Scott,

Could the city of Urbana or the UIUC buy Dart’s densifier and operate it for the community?

Jeff

Dear Paul, 

We here at My Green Lab thank you very much for your patience while the submissions for the 2023 Freezer Challenge were reviewed over the past number of weeks. You’re receiving this email because you were a site coordinator for the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign  this year. Thank you for encouraging labs to participate in the Freezer Challenge this year! You and your lab(s) are a part of over 1,900 labs from 170 different institutions, across 27 countries which participated this year, a new record! The combined efforts of the scientists and labs participating in the 2023 Freezer Challenge saved an estimated 20.6 million kWh over the past year, which is the equivalent of avoiding an estimated 14,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. 

66 scoresheets were submitted from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, representing a total of 94 labs, the combined actions of which saved an estimated 1293.5 kWh/day! Great job, and well done! Please see the attached Excel document for details of all the actions taken by labs at your organization this year, with each row being a different scoresheet submitted back to us. Total raw points for actions and kwh/day saved are on the far right. *Please note that all lab points of contact received a separate email from programs@mygreenlab.org in the past 24 hours informing them of their lab’s estimated energy savings too. 

The winners of the 2023 Freezer Challenge will be announced by mid-August via My Green Lab and I2SL newsletters and our social media channels, so stay tuned for that announcement! 

Thank you for engaging labs at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign to implement cold storage best practices through the Freezer Challenge! We hope you’ll encourage your organization to participate in the 2024 Freezer Challenge next year. 

Sincerely,  

My Green Lab & the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL)

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We have officially surpassed the highest number of labs participating and reached our highest avoided energy reduction at over $54k avoided annually at the current kWh rate.

We also have a lab receiving an award for the best lab in their category. See next email forward.

Best

Paul

The link below is an informational letter with information on how labs can join the International Freezer Challenge.

https://emails.illinois.edu/newsletter/91/1674395291.html

Hello Jen and Morgan,

I have attached a draft of the award letter to be sent to the deans and dept heads, and am reaching out to iSEE in regards to supporting this program.

I believe in the past ISEE co-presented these awards with F&S and more recently the awards were presented at the Sustainability Celebration which works well to promote more exposure for all sustainability items on campus.

Unfortunately, the BTAF Mechanical Engineering conference and I2SL conferences are during the same week so we were not available to join this past year.

We are now looking at 5 separate presentations at each location to present this years awards and wondering what support or involvement ISEE would be interested in?

Thank you 

Paul Foote

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Hi Paul,

Jen and I spoke about this, and iSEE is interested in continuing to participate in the presentation of the ECIP awards.  We would like to suggest that this be a single award presentation, rather than the five separate events.  It can occur during Earth Month, and perhaps it could be held at the ACES Library, which is a nice venue and it was the ECIP winner with the highest energy savings.

Please let us know if this is an acceptable plan, and we can arrange a call to talk about the details.

Also, I asked Ehab about the Henry Admin Building leadership, and he suggests Paul Ellinger be the point of contact for the award letter.

Thanks,

Morgan

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Hello Everyone,

This is a terrific plan, Rob gave the go-ahead to plan the venue, date & time etc.

When works best for all?

Thank you

Paul

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Hello All,

I am bumping this to the top of the email list for scheduling the venue and timing for this event.

Let me know when we can discuss/finalize the details?

Best

Paul Foote

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Hi Paul,

Is there anything that you were anticipating including in this event agenda, other than the ECIP announcements and plaque distribution?  If not, it might be better to include both years’ winners in the fall 2023 campus sustainability celebration. 

I realize this is a shift from what we were thinking of, but it would be a shame to put together an event that is only 15 minutes long…  It would also be difficult to get a broad audience.

Thanks,

Morgan

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Hi Morgan,

We were thinking this timeframe might fit better than the fall venue with multiple conferences etc…

Pending the date, we should have information regarding the next round of funding and were planning to gather the facilities managers at this event to share examples and promote future project applications.

Thoughts everyone?

Best

Paul

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Hi Morgan and all,

I crossed the revolving loan fund and ECIP, the ECIP awards can be discussed at our next monthly meeting.

Thank you

Paul Foote

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Hi Paul, What monthly meeting?

thanks, Morgan

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Hi Morgan,

UES has a monthly meeting for ECIP, RLF, rapid back and other funding items as needed.

Best

Paul

UIUC is the first image on the My Green Labs web page. The link of the webpage is https://www.freezerchallenge.org/

UIUC was within top 4 for energy savings in the Freezer Challenge this year among academic organizations. 

And, in the top 2 in terms of normalized points earned. UAB beat UIUC in both categories this year, with over 100 labs participating from their campus.