Extra, extra! Read all about it!! Do you have a surplus of pipette racks? Maybe too many test tubes or beakers that you don’t know what to do with them all? Or maybe you need a couple syringes but don’t want to place a whole order and have an overflow of them in your lab. Well, you have come to the right place…

With help from the amazing Jennifer Crosthwaite, we have worked together to declutter and revamp the swap shelf at PMCRT on the 5th floor, right outside the elevator! During the last year, being at limited capacity, the shelf wasn’t able to receive the love it deserves, but it is now ready for your use!

To get a better understanding of what we were working with, here is a look before and after we went to work organizing the shelf:

Left: Tidy and not looked after swap shelf. Right: Decluttered and organized swap shelf

Now what is the swap shelf? It was first developed as a means to divert perfectly good materials away from landfill. That may be items that you have ordered too much of, don’t have space for, or don’t use anymore, that you think other labs may have a use for. If that applies to you, this shelf is a place where you can donate them to other labs at PMCRT to use.

One of the most effective ways for reducing waste, is by not creating any in the first place. Making new materials such as beakers or pipettes, requires a lot of energy and materials. Raw materials need to be extracted from the earth (requires energy and releases green house gases by doing so), the product needs to be fabricated, and then it needs to be transported to its destination. One effective way to save our natural resources, protect the environment, while saving money (great bonus!), is to stop by the shelf and swap your items!

As you can see from the photo above, there is a need for this shelf. But, to keep it looking like the photo on the left, we ask you to keep a few simple things in mind when you are dropping off or picking up to keep it looking like the photo on the right.

  • If you pick something up, you don’t have to leave anything. You can pick up, drop off, or do both!
  • Please do not leave any garbage/used materials on the shelf.
  • Please do not leave any expired materials.

If you work at PMCRT, I would suggest running to the shelf because there are some hot commodity items!