Staff in the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences were honored Oct. 27 with a “Safer Chemistry Champion” award presented by the Washington Department of Ecology.

The annual awards honor Washington businesses and organizations for their leadership in reducing the use of toxic chemicals and finding safer alternatives. Four organizations were recognized this year.

A team from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences assessed laboratory practices to evaluate their chemical use, energy consumption, and waste generation, and also investigated the potential chemical hazards of several chemicals of concern. The Department also developed a Green Labs webinar series to share what they learned.

Rob Duff, Governor Jay Inslee’s senior environmental policy advisor, praised the winners’ creativity and dedication as he presented the awards during the Pollution Prevention Resource Center’s Regional Roundtable in Seattle.

“By finding safer ingredients, reducing chemical use and becoming more efficient, these organizations are models for their industries,” Duff said. “They show that protecting people and the environment is smart business.”

The other winners included the Seattle Gymnastics Academy, Tidal Vision, and Genzyme.