How OmniAb® Found a Trusted Recycling Partner in Polycarbin
Overview
OmniAb®, a biotechnology leader specializing in antibody discovery, generates high volumes of single-use lab plastics as part of its research and development process. The team was committed to sustainability, but recently discovered a gap between intention and impact: their plastics weren’t being recycled as expected. Lab Operations Senior Manager Crystal Nie solved that problem by partnering with Polycarbin.
The Challenge
For years, OmniAb® relied on its municipal recycling program to process non-hazardous lab plastics such as pipette tip boxes and media bottles. These items, often made of #5 and #1 plastics, respectively, were supposed to be recyclable. But after a presentation from their local waste services provider, the team learned the truth.
“We thought the plastics we were putting into municipal recycling were actually being recycled,” Crystal explained. “But they were not. They were going straight to the landfill.”
The discovery was a gut punch. For a team that had been carefully sorting plastics in good faith, believing they were doing their part, it was disheartening to learn that their efforts hadn’t translated into real environmental impact. And all the while, the lab’s volume of single-use plastic waste continued to grow.
“I knew we needed to fix the problem. But we needed to be sure the route we took was the right one. I wanted a transparent solution to demonstrate to the team that the materials were truly being recycled,” Crystal said. That desire for accountability and measurable, verifiable impact led her to seek a partner who could help the lab finally close the loop.
The Solution
Crystal began exploring recycling solutions that could meet the specific demands of a high-throughput lab like OmniAb®. Just as she was deep in her research, a well-timed email from Polycarbin® landed in her inbox. “After getting the email, I looked into Polycarbin and learned that they accepted most of the items we use daily in our lab,” she said.
Intrigued, Crystal connected with the Polycarbin team to learn more. Their evidence-based approach to lab plastic recycling stood out, offering both transparency and a practical path toward sustainability. Confident in their model, she partnered with Polycarbin to implement a circular solution.
The rollout was straightforward. Polycarbin provided on-site training, guiding the team through the easy-to-adapt recycling workflow. They also helped replace cardboard shipping boxes with a more sustainable, crate-based pickup system.
“We switched to a crate for service, and it’s so simple,” Crystal said. “Now we just stack our empty Polycarbin bins inside, reuse the crate, and coordinate a single truck trip for delivery and pickup.”
The Results
Since onboarding with Polycarbin, OmniAb® has seen clear improvements, not just in landfill and C02 diversion, but also in lab culture. Some highlights include:
Verified diversion data: Polycarbin provides monthly, evidence-based data on pounds of plastic recycled and CO2 emissions reduced, giving the team a measurable view of their environmental impact, which includes:
Recycled 4552 lb of lab plastic
Diverted 28,000 lb of C02
Conserved 3,800,000 gallons of water
Carbon footprint reduction: By switching to reusable crates and coordinating logistics, OmniAb® cut down on unnecessary shipping emissions.
Renewed staff engagement: The lab excitedly rallied around the new program after the letdown of municipal recycling failures.
Organization-wide visibility: With Polycarbin's versatile customer dashboard, the Carbin Counter™, Crystal can share data via OASIS, their internal environmental education platform, informing and inspiring the entire company.
The team's response was immediate and enthusiastic. After the disappointment of learning their previous recycling efforts hadn’t made the difference they’d hoped, Polycarbin’s solution offered a renewed sense of purpose.
“The team got incredibly excited,” Crystal shared. “We have a group who really cares about keeping plastics out of landfills, and this program gave them something to believe in again.”
With clear visibility into their environmental impact and a closed-loop system, the lab finally had a recycling solution they could trust and rally behind.
Join Us in Building the World’s First True Circular Economy
At Polycarbin, we believe that single-use waste does not have to be the cost of innovation. By reducing waste and emissions and empowering scientists to take action, we are establishing a new standard for sustainable innovation, enabling scientists to achieve true circularity.
Ready to see how much your lab can decarbonize?
Contact us today for a consultation and learn how your lab can be part of the Polycarbin mission and help make science more sustainable!
