Chapter 8: Recycling and Reuse in the Laboratory

In a discovery laboratory setting there are a multitude of opportunities to reduce, reuse, or recycle many of the items that are used every day. In this chapter, the focus will be on several areas of high impact that are common to all discovery laboratories where waste can be reduced through reuse or recycling of materials: solvents, precious metal catalysts, glass, chromatography columns, and cardboard or plastic. These areas of frequent use can yield the greatest returns in the goal of minimizing waste and environmental footprint in a drug discovery setting. Furthermore, an explanation of the practical limitations and issues with these options will be included as various factors may impact feasibility due to scale, cost, or safety and regulatory concerns.