This story appeared in the Faculty of Science Newsletter:
An eco-friendly idea by two colleagues in the Department of Chemistry has helped save thousands of bags of packaging from landfill sites.
Around 18 years ago, stores manager Pete Farran contacted Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) in Nottingham to ask if they could do anything with all of the polystyrene chip packaging the Department gets with deliveries.
He was told that he could recycle it by returning it to SLS to be reused, which reduces the company’s costs and stops the packaging going to waste in landfills. So Pete, along with stores technician Nick Smith, set up a way for staff to save all their polystyrene.
The spare packaging is picked up by the SLS delivery van every Monday and Thursday, and taken back to the company’s HQ to be reused.
It’s estimated that around 7,500 black sacks of polystyrene have been recycled in this way over the last 18 years.
To say thanks, Alex Hall from SLS presented Pete and Nick with a signed Sheffield Wednesday shirt, which is now hung up in their office. Pete said: “Although the reason for setting up the recycling was on environmental grounds it is nice to be recognized and gives us a great sense of pride.”