[Zack Landsman, co-founder Junk Labz, speaking]

Junk Labz takes plastic waste from UVA research labs and recycles it all under one roof. We collect pipette tip boxes used in lab research directly from UVA. A research assistant will go through around a hundred tips in an hour. With around 10 research assistants in a lab, and around 100 labs at UVA, you can picture how many of these we go through.

I’m a double Hoo. I did my undergrad in biomedical engineering and cognitive science. But in my free time, I’m really into sustainability and recycling.

So far, Junk Labz has shredded 1,300 pounds of No. 5 plastic. We sort the boxes into their different parts, throw them in this big mechanical shredder, and melt them down into these plywood-type sheets. From there, they can be manufactured into keychains, jewelry, pieces of art, stools.

It’s really difficult to talk about how great recycling is, but also try and convince people that the real way of making an impact is reducing our overall use and reliance on plastics.

In starting Junk Labz, it really felt like I would only have to learn how to shred and melt this plastic and make it into something – and that already was outside of my wheelhouse. Add in trying to figure out how this looks as a business, how to project manage. The best thing I’ve been able to do is collaborate and connect with others.

[Landsman and co-worker talk]

You know that’s the right one. OK.

[Landsman speaking]

I really want to inspire not only hope in sustainability, but clear action. It’s really cool to be able to see what can be done, and I hope that Junk Labz can be that for others.