This year’s Freezer Challenge, hosted by My Green Lab and I2SL, drew participation from 3,724 labs across 36 countries—a 23 percent increase over last year and the largest turnout in the program’s nine-year history.
According to a press release, participants saved an estimated 31.6 million kWh of electricity and avoided more than 21,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions—roughly equivalent to taking 5,000 cars off the road for a year. Since its launch in 2017, the challenge has driven more than 108 million kWh in energy savings.
Lab freezers are very energy intensive. An older freezer can consume more energy per day than the average home in America. Labs track and improve their cold storage management—such as defrosting freezers, retiring unused units, and storing samples more efficiently—through a points-based system. This year marked the debut of a revamped platform that makes it easier for labs to view their points, benchmark against peers for friendly competition, and estimate energy savings.
“The continued growth of the Freezer Challenge reflects the scientific community’s deepening commitment to sustainability,” said James Connelly, CEO of My Green Lab. “Each lab that participates, whether large or small, contributes to a growing culture of green science.”
Interested lab managers can fill out a form to be notified when registration for the 2026 challenge opens.
