Lab ReNew

Lab ReNew, also known as LabReNew, is a Marblehead-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps research laboratories become more sustainable. It focuses on small and independent biology labs in New England that want to cut energy, water and materials use but are not sure where to begin. Its team evaluates each lab’s processes and designs custom efficiency plans, from water-saving aerators and efficient autoclaves to recycling partnerships and access to green chemistry suppliers.

Founder and executive director Steve started the organization while working at Eversource, the New England utility, as its point person on life science sustainability. Inspired by thinking about the world his grandsons would inherit, he launched a nonprofit to change how labs handle energy, water and waste. Its guidance is free, it works with labs of 2 people or 200, and volunteers and staff help it grow across Eastern Massachusetts with support from an advisory board.

What to Know

• The group says its guidance can cut a lab’s operating overhead by more than 12 percent.
• The group says its clients have cut energy bills by about 25 percent.
• Results are documented using i2SL and MHL certification tools.
• Each client gets a customized training plan to change lab habits and reduce waste.