Acetone recycling: a case study in the undergraduate teaching laboratory

Abstract

Chemistry teaching laboratories use large volumes of acetone which are predominantly disposed of by incineration as non-halogenated waste. At UCL Chemistry we have begun recycling acetone waste generated by students and researchers. Not only does this reduce costs and emissions significantly, it can also be embedded into teaching to educate students on laboratory chemistry emissions and the impact of sustainability initiatives. We have carried out a preliminary life cycle analysis based on our data for a three-month period of recycling acetone in the teaching laboratory, which demonstrates the benefits of the scheme.