No Contamination Reported in Harvey's Biotech Waste

Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) recently announced its partnership with E.L. Harvey & Sons to become the primary supplier of lab recycling for the more than 600 companies forming MassBio's membership base.

E.L Harvey & Sons is a family-owned, Westborough-based recycling and waste management company. This collaboration between Harvey & Sons and MassBio hopes to fill the void for biotech companies unable to find recycling for lab plastics.

The lab plastics E.L. Harvey & Sons has agreed to collect are clean plastics, according to MassBio representative Sarah MacDonald, which is the plastic packaging containing material used by scientists. The previous difficulty in recycling the clean plastic packaging lay in the fear of recycling companies that the plastic was contaminated because it originated from biotech companies.

Before E.L. Harvey & Sons agreed to partner with MassBio, the company conducted tests to ensure that the plastics are indeed free of contamination and there is a market for the recycled goods, noted MacDonald. The company will offer a 15 percent discount to MassBio members for its recycling services.

This year marks the 100th anniversary for E.L. Harvey & Sons. The company has the record of not sending any waste passing through its doors to a landfill. Eighty-five percent of materials received are recycled, and the remaining is shipped to waste-to-energy plants.

"We appreciate E.L. Harvey stepping up to the plate to provide a service that not only helps our members dispose of their recyclable lab products but also for their commitment to sustainability and the future of our planet," said Robert K. Coughlin, president and chief executive officer of MassBio.