Schnable Lab Recycling
In the Schnable Lab we recycle plastics generated from our wet lab procedures including the lids, bases and packaging of pipette tip stack racks. We are careful to recycle only "clean" plastic, which we define as plastic that has had no contact with a laboratory solution or chemical.
Clean plastics are placed in small receptacles located in each lab. The plastic is then collected weekly and delivered to the Ames Area Redemption Center (AARC) by volunteers in the Schnable Lab. The AARC sells the plastic to Weyerhaeuser, a company that distributes plastic to manufacturers that make a variety of products like t-shirts, plastic bags, carpet fibers, pop bottles and home furnishings. On average our lab recycles 55 gallons of plastic by volume a week.
We also recycle cardboard and white paper as part of a University-wide recycling program. White paper is picked up by ISU Facilities Planning and Management and sold to Mid America Recycling in Des Moines. From there, the paper goes through a de-inker and is recycled back into pulp. Cardboard is picked up by the AARC and sold to recycling plants in Iowa.