Styrofoam Recycling Pilot Program
Do you wish you could recycle your Styrofoam?
Look no further! Green Labs is running a short-term pilot project helping labs divert their hard-to-recycle Styrofoam from the landfill and turn it into picture frames! Check out our program details below, or our other Pilot Programs.
What are Green Labs Pilot Programs?
BBE is providing funding for sustainable pilot programs at Caltech! If you or your lab has a sustainable project you would like help getting off the ground, please fill out an Application Form. For reference, here is an example form for the Lomi Composting project. Submissions officially open in June 2023.
Styrofoam Recycling Program
Green Labs is excited to launch a short-term Styrofoam Recycling Program!
Our Plan: Every Wednesday, a dropoff day will be conducted in the following buildings to collect Styrofoam for recycling. More locations are to come soon, so check back if your building is not yet indicated!
| Building | Location |
|---|---|
| Alles | Mail room Alles 187 |
| BBB | Around corner from Basement elevators |
| Beckman Institute | NW corner, ground level (closest to Broad) |
| Broad | Main floor near recycling containers |
| Chen | Chen loading dock |
| Linde | Linde Level B2 under the stairwell |
| Schlinger | Crellin Bunker (north of Crellin and south of Schlinger) |
Once we've collected enough Styrofoam to fill up 3 dumpsters, Transportation will haul our Styrofoam to our recycling vendor to be transformed into picture frames!
Update: Since October 2024 we have diverted a whopping 11 dumpsters full of Styrofoam!! Well done, folks!!
Click here to sign our petition asking vendors to reduce the amount of Styrofoam being sent to campus, and asking Caltech to develop a permanent Styrofoam recycling program.
We, the staff, students, and faculty at Caltech, sign below to support the reduction of Polystyrene (Styrofoam) waste at Caltech.
Polystyrene has massive effects on our planet and does not biodegrade. It is made from fossil fuels that are non-renewable and chemicals that can leach into and contaminate our environment. Animals ingest this material and can be poisoned or killed. Studies published by the National Institutes of Health, National Toxicology Program, and World Health Organization suggest that styrene, the backbone of Polystyrene, is a probable carcinogen. This material is not able to be recycled in Pasadena and its sale and distribution has been banned in Pasadena as of April, 2023.
Please sign here to show your commitment to this initiative.
We are asking labs to commit to:
- Asking vendors to reduce their reliance Polystyrene (Styrofoam) and transition to more sustainable, recyclable, or compostable options that are just as effective as Polystyrene.
- Asking vendors to offer send-back programs to reuse their Polystyrene containers.
- Where possible, asking labs aggregate or reduce our purchases that rely on Polystyrene, and/or to choose vendors that offer more sustainable shipping solutions.
- Investigating Polystyrene recycling, reduction, or re-use programs on our campus.
We as scientists are acutely aware of the negative impact our research often has on the environment. By working towards a more sustainable future, and by asking for more sustainable resources for our research, we are eager to add fuel to this proverbial fire to continue the success of our sustainable programs and initiatives.
Please sign here to show your commitment to this initiative.