Sustainable Surplus to Participate in Zero Waste Symposium

SSE Executive Director, Sue Prelozni, will be one of the featured speakers at the first annual Zero Waste Symposium, hosted by Zero Waste San Diego and the San Diego Chapter of the California Resource Recovery Association (CRRA).

The topic is “Keys to Sustainability” and will be comprised of a rapid-fire format of ten minute presentations by industry experts covering Zero Waste principles, source reduction and reuse strategies, policy developments, managing compostable discards, and a measure of San Diego’s compliance with state mandate AB 341 for recycling and waste diversion.

The event will be held Tuesday, February, 9 am – 4 pm, at the County of San Diego, County Operations Center. For more information, click here.

County Treasurer Find Treasures at Event

San Diego County Treasurer, Dan McAllister, joined SSE executive director Sue Prelozni, at the first-ever BYOB for Lab Supplies event.  "I just love what you are doing," McAllister told Prelozni.  "It just makes sense, environmentally while financially benefiting so many local organizations."
More than $60,000 of lab supplies were repurposed to local science teachers, researchers and start-up biotech companies.  Thousands of pipettes, culture plates, petri dishes, glassware, and more, were redistributed from local pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
"We are grateful that they chose donation over disposal," said Prelozni.

Scientists Make Discovery at BYOB

Local scientists discovered a great deal at the Sustainable Surplus BYOB for Lab Supplies event. 

“It was amazing!  I saved thousands of dollars on lab supplies,” said Debra Vanourkerk a science teacher at Lincoln Middle School.

Science teachers, professors and researchers were invited to bring an empty box, or two, and fill it with lab supplies – pipettes, culture plates, petri dishes, glassware and more.   Educational and nonprofit organizations paid only $5 for a box which contained, on average, $500 of lab supplies. For profit start-up companies were also invited and paid $20 per box.  “It was definitely worth it,” said Sridhar Prasad, vice president of research, CalAsia Pharmaceuticals.

Over $60,000 worth of supplies was repurposed!  The items were donations from local biotech and pharmaceutical companies, including:  Nitto Denko, Amicus and Pfizer.

  

Understanding Sustainability in San Diego

SSE participated in the "Social Innovation & Sustainability symposium," sponsored by SD Social Innovation Trust and SEMPRA.  Executive director Sue Prelozni joined thought leaders, environmentalists, front-runners of green technology companies and educators. They were all bundled together in a room to pore their energy into formulating a way to define what sustainability means for San Diego.

As the program evolves, so will its mission.  Prelozni will be on a steering committee, keeping a finger on the pulse of sustainable solutions.

BYOB for Lab Supplies

Sustainable Surplus is hosting its first BYOB for lab supplies Tuesday, January 21.  Science teachers, professors, and researchers are invited to bring an empty box and, for only $5, fill it with lab supplies - pipettes, petri dishes, filters, glassware and more. Educators and nonprofit leaders can register here:  RSVP
Come save hundreds of dollars on lab supplies!!
The event hours are 3 - 5:30 pm at the SSE warehouse.  Need more information?  Please contact us:  info@sustainablesurplus.org 

Incoming! Biotech Company Donates Lab Supplies

It was all part of a bigger picture – the indoctrination of the “5S” Japanese solution for organizing and maintaining efficient workflow.  When translated to English, it means to sort, straighten, shine, standardize and sustain. 

Nitto Denko Corporation, a Japanese company with a location in Oceanside, implemented 5S companywide, and as a result, donated 10 palettes of lab supplies and several scientific instruments to Sustainable Surplus Exchange (SSE) for repurposing. 

Having surplus to donate does not translate to being wasteful; it does build awareness of more effective use of assets and streamlines the ordering process. 

“We discovered we had some lab equipment that was literally collecting dust,” said Environmental, Health and Safety Manager, Jim Hinely, who was the lead on executing the 5S program.  People have a tendency to hold onto things with the just-in-case-I-need-it mentality. 

Hinely implemented 5S over several months with the support of facilities manager, Adrian Reth. After an internal disposition process, items were tagged for donation.  Local schools and start-ups have been targeted to receive the items.

 “The 5S program is an excellent example of corporate stewardship of sustainability and environmental excellence,” said SSE executive director Sue Prelozni.

Nitto Denko arranged to deliver the items to the warehouse; SSE engaged their friends at the US Army to help unload the ‘incoming’ deluge.  “This was the third time the volunteers from the Oceanside recruiting center helped us,” said Prelozni.  In a matter of hours, the items were delivered and sorted in the warehouse.

The lab supplies will be dispersed at the next BYOB – Bring Your Own Box event – January 21. Science teachers, professors and researchers have been invited to bring empty boxes and fill them with supplies.  To learn more about the event, contact SSE at info@sustainablesurplus.org