At Cheshire Scientific, we’ve always tried to be mindful of our impact on the environment and to find practical ways to reduce it. Recycling plays a big part in this, and it’s something we’re continually looking to improve instead of just treating it as a box-ticking exercise. While we recognise that the use of plastic bottles and consumables is an unavoidable part of modern water sampling, this only makes the need to recycle them properly all the more important.

We have recently carried out an environmental audit, and as part of this we paid a visit to our bottle and laboratory consumables supplier, Microspec. Each week we return all our used bottles and consumables back to them, and it was fascinating to see what happens to the items we use every day once they leave our site. Used bottles, loops and spreaders are collected, ground down, and then turned back into new products ready for use again.

Watching the process in action really brought home how effective recycling can be when it’s done properly. There was something quite satisfying about seeing familiar lab items come full circle, rather than ending up as waste. It also reinforced how important it is for us to work with suppliers who share the same outlook and are willing to invest in better, more sustainable ways of doing business.

We know that small, consistent steps add up over time. By continuing to review how we work, choosing partners carefully, and looking for simple improvements where we can, we aim to keep reducing our environmental impact in ways that are realistic, transparent, and genuinely make a difference.