New Uses for Old Lab Coats

Your generosity helps others, decreases waste

By Melanie Stewart

When the campus rebranded last year, we asked for your lab coats with the old brands.  The new brand didn’t allow for the same coats to be used, so as new lab coats became available we found new homes for your old coats.

To date, more than 500 lab coats have been donated to science and art classes in 9 area schools, as well as the Munroe Meyer Institute on campus and campus-led medical mission trips.  To those of you who donated coats, asked coworkers, and gathered coats for your entire departments, thank you!

In order to protect the reputation of the hospital and former owners of the coats, we asked that old patches and names be removed.  Some of you did this and we thank you for that.  For those of you that were unable to do so, LiveGreen Super Volunteers Saralyn Fisher and Anne Rivas took the coats home with them and gave up their free time to remove these so they were ready to donate.  If you see them, please thank them for all their work!

LiveGreen became involved as a way to prevent these coats from ending up in the landfill, but your impact doesn’t stop there.  Many teachers noted they had been purchasing disposable plastic coats/aprons for student use.  By re-using your old lab coats, that plastic isn’t being purchased, shipped, or ending up in the landfill, all of which creates a positive environmental impact.  The schools can also use the coats from year to year, freeing up funds for other educational needs.  And don’t forget the clothes that are saved by using these coats.  I received a thank you just the other day from a mother happy she didn’t have to purchase more uniforms after a messy art class.

By donating your lab coats you started a domino effect that saves money and improves the environment.  Great Job!

This week many of you have the opportunity to bring in your old scrubs for donation, with bins located at both the DOC and Clarkson entrances.  These scrubs will be donated to the UNMC medical mission trips, taken to other countries, and donated for use by their healthcare professionals.  Again, your generosity prevents clothing from ending up in the landfill, allows money to be dedicated to healthcare supplies, and helps to provide better care to people in need.