Nitrile Glove Recycling Program for Hutchison Hall

Hutchison Hall houses the Plant Pathology and Nematology departments, and researchers and students in the building use thousands of nitrile gloves each month while in class or at work. Waste produced in laboratories represents a high percentage of total waste produced by UC Davis. Polycarbin, a local recycling company, diverts nitrile gloves from landfills by repurposing them into consumer goods. By piloting a Polycarbin glove recycling program in Hutchison, we would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental research while being able to use sustainability metrics from Polycarbin to demonstrate the potential value of a permanent program to the department.