TerraCycle is launching ScienceCycle, a national program designed to provide scientists and lab professionals with a recycling solution for their hard-to-recycle waste, like disposable gloves and masks, safety equipment and more.
Studies show that every year scientific labs generate over 6 million tons of plastic waste worldwide, which is why Terracycle launched the new platform, designed to divert as much lab waste from the landfill as possible.
From pipette tips, tubes, and Petri dishes to safety equipment, disposable gloves, and masks - single-use consumables are pervasive and indispensable in the modern laboratory setting. To address this typically non-recyclable waste, ScienceCycle utilizes TerraCycle’s innovative Zero Waste Box program to recycle the most common waste streams found in the lab setting, including:
- Centrifuge Tubes & Rigid Lab Plastics - Zero Waste Box
- Safety Equipment and Protective Gear - Zero Waste Box
- Disposable Garments - Zero Waste Box
- Disposable Gloves - Zero Waste Box
- Disposable Masks - Zero Waste Box
- Ear Plugs - Zero Waste Box
- Hair Nets and Beard Nets - Zero Waste Box
- Break Room Separation - Zero Waste Box
- Office Separation - Zero Waste Box
- Plastic Packaging - Zero Waste Box
How ScienceCycle works:
- Order – Laboratory staff order boxes that suit their needs which are shipped directly to their labs.
- Collect – ScienceCycle boxes are placed in designated high-traffic areas throughout the laboratory to easily collect the various categories of lab waste.
- Ship – Once full, the laboratory sends their box to TerraCycle via the pre-affixed UPS shipping label.
- Recycle – The lab waste is saved from landfills and recycled by TerraCycle.