Passing of the coat: Second year student launches program to reuse lab coats

Story originally posted in Science Matters Newsletter March 2024

Integrated Science student Isaac Begun is in the Campus Store ready to shell out $34.99 for the official and ubiquitous McMaster-branded white lab coat.

But there are no lab coats left in stock. The overseas supplier’s run into supply chain issues.

Isaac’s out of luck and running out of time. He needs a lab coat before his first lab class. No coat, no class.

Isaac reaches out to a freshly minted science grad who went to the same high school back in Toronto. Did you hang on to your old lab coat, Isaac asks. And can I borrow it?

The grad does Isaac a solid. Instead of lending the lab coat, he’s happy to give it to Isaac. It’s his to keep for the next four years. That gets Isaac thinking.

What if students leaving their last labs gave their coats to students heading into their first labs? Most coats are only worn a couple dozen times and wind up buried in landfills and closets. The coats can’t double as pajamas and there’s only so many Halloween parties where you can dress up as a scientist.

The hand-off would be a win for the environment and for budget-conscious and cash-strapped students. It could also become a McMaster tradition, a literal passing of the lab coat instead of the metaphorical passing of the torch.

Isaac has never worked on a sustainability project. He wasn’t that kid in kindergarten who starts a program to recycle juice boxes. So he signs up for Sustain 1S03. That’s where he gets a crash course in circular economics. It’s a system where materials and products – like gently used lab coats – get reused and regenerated. The course gives Isaac the know-how and confidence to work through details of how to launch his idea.

And then he sees an Instagram post from the McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being. The office is inviting students, faculty and staff to apply for special project funding. Isaac thinks why not give it a try, pitches his idea and lands a $4,000 grant.

The grant turns what could’ve been a small pilot project run on a shoestring into a campus-wide initiative called ReCoat. The funding will cover cleaning costs which means the reused coats will be free to students. Isaac also launches an online ReCoat pledge that’ll give students gentle reminders to donate their lab coats plus chances to win prizes like gift cards and the equally ubiquitous AirPods.

It’s early days for ReCoat and the response has already been amazing, says Isaac. Dozens of lab coats have been donated not just by students but also by faculty and alumni. “Everyone says it’s such an obvious idea and why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?”

Isaac’s not afraid to reach out and ask for help. The Dean’s Office has been making introductions and connections. The student-run McMaster Science Society’s on board and happy to spread the word about ReCoat to the more than 8,000 undergrads in the Faculty of Science. The Bachelor of Health Science Society is looking to follow suit.

Lab coats can be dropped off in the MSS Office in B108 in the Burke Science Building, along with ABB 133, Thode Library and the BHSc Office in MDCL 3300. Thode Library will also have free one-day loaners available starting in September for students who forget to pack their lab coats before rushing off to class.

The added bonus for Isaac? He’s only in his second year at Mac. Most students roll out big projects in their final year and don’t get to see their ideas gain traction and bear fruit. “I get to spend two more years working on ReCoat.”

Isaac’s already looking at what else can be added to the circular economy at McMaster. Lab goggles and calculators are a possibility. It all depends on what students are asking for.

“Once you start thinking about the circular economy, you see opportunities everywhere.”

Connect with Isaac about ReCoat at beguni@mcmaster.ca.