From Pilot to Enterprise: Expanding Lab Plastics Recycling at BCH
What began as a small pilot has now grown into a hospital-wide sustainability success story. In 2024, BCH Green Labs launched a plastics recycling pilot on just two floors of the CLS building. Over the course of 11 months, the pilot diverted nearly a ton of plastic—mainly pipette tip boxes and clear media bottles—from the waste stream. The results showed that researchers were eager to adopt innovative recycling solutions when given the chance.
Building on this momentum, and with the generous philanthropic support of Cell Signaling Technology (CST), BCH Green Labs is proud to announce the launch of an enterprise-wide plastics recycling program.
Powered by Partnership with Polycarbin
This program is made possible through a collaboration with Polycarbin, a company dedicated to creating a circular economy for laboratory plastics. Instead of sending used plastics to landfills or incineration, Polycarbin collects, processes, and transforms these materials into high-quality recycled resins. These resins are then used to manufacture new lab products, closing the loop and reducing the demand for virgin plastic production.
At BCH, specially marked bins now make it easy for researchers to recycle pipette tip boxes and clear media bottles across all four of our research buildings. What began with a small pilot has evolved into a comprehensive system that reduces waste and fosters a culture of sustainability.
Why It Matters
Research laboratories are vital engines of discovery, but they also generate large volumes of single-use plastics. By providing researchers with a way to recycle common items like tip boxes and media bottles, we’re not only reducing waste but also taking meaningful steps toward BCH’s broader climate goals: carbon neutrality by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
The pilot demonstrated that change is possible when staff engagement is combined with the proper infrastructure. Expanding this initiative means diverting many more tons of plastic each year while advancing a circular economy model for scientific research. If predictions stay the course based on our pilot, BCH Research is on track to divert 16 tons of plastic during this 2025-2026 fiscal year!
A Shared Effort
This achievement was made possible thanks to the philanthropic support of Cell Signaling Technology (CST), whose generosity has been instrumental in turning this vision into reality. We also extend our gratitude to the Department of Environmental Sustainability at BCH and Research Operations, whose partnership and collaboration were key to scaling this program.
Most importantly, we thank the researchers, facilities staff, and sustainability champions across BCH who embraced the pilot and continue to make sustainable practices part of everyday research.
Looking Ahead
With the enterprise-wide program now in place, BCH Green Labs will continue to measure impact, refine processes, and seek new opportunities to reduce waste. This is just one of many initiatives helping to make Boston Children’s a leader in sustainable research practices within the Longwood Medical Area and beyond.