Celebrating Commitment to Sustainability at Northwestern
Without the commitment of the entire Northwestern community, achieving an environmentally sustainable campus is not possible. That is why sustainNU is so appreciative of the offices and labs who are dedicated to following best practices for sustainable workplace management through the Green Office and Green Labs Certifications.
The most recent additions to the Green Certified community at Northwestern include the Garage, the Arispe Lab, and the Arango Lab. Thank you to these groups for their dedication to producing excellent work that is mindful of impact to our natural ecosystems, public health, and the sustainability of our planet.
The Garage at Northwestern: Inspiring student ingenuity and intentionality
The Garage at Northwestern – certified November 2023 – is a center for student innovation at the University. As a space dedicated to creativity and transformation, the Garage understands that true progress does not come at the expense of our environment. As such, people using the space are expected to interact intentionally with the resources provided, from energy use to makers space materials. Next time you visit the Garage, keep an eye out for the automatic shutoff schedules for lighting and equipment they use to save energy, their new Bevi drink machine with reusable aluminum cups, and their creative methods for reusing makerspace materials. This space takes “reduce and reuse” seriously!
The Arispe Lab: A model for sustainable vascular biology
The Arispe Lab – certified August 2023 – is focused on elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate vascular morphogenesis during development and in disease. This team came to the Green Labs program already using many best practices for sustainable lab management, however, they noted that “this process enabled us to consider potential progress we can make towards decreasing the negative impact of laboratories on the environment." Rather than sticking with the status quo, the Arispe lab took this opportunity to critically evaluate areas they could improve upon.
The Arango Lab: Advancing RNA biology and green lab management
The Arango Lab – certified October 2024 – is dedicated to unraveling the post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene expression. The lab was motivated to apply for certification as they "firmly believe everyone has a role to play in reducing greenhouse gases emissions." The entire lab was engaged in all stages of certification, from requesting updated bin labels and signage to increase recycling rates, to engaging with sustainNU in brainstorming new ways to approach environmentalism in their lab.