First art sale 11.4.2025
Do you ever wonder where your recycling goes?
We started Junk Labz to make sure you know your waste isn't wasted
Charlottesville, VA
Junk Labz is a one-stop shop plastic recycling center started by two UVA Studentz with NO trash experience.
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We do all the stepz to recycle #5 plastic waste (from UVA Research Labz) in one location:
to reduce shipping emissions, reduce landfilled plastic, improve transparency, and create long-lasting unique designz from our recycled plasticz.
How do we do it? There are 5 Main Steps!
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COLLECT!
![image[40172]_edited.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7636d_31a36cd8ec6b41878884f5ad891b2d12~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_96,h_115,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/image%5B40172%5D_edited.png)
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SORT!
![IMG_7948[37451] 2.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a9d1b1_8b76893357684a9bbdb06cae25366a14~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_178,w_380,h_381/fill/w_170,h_170,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/IMG_7948%5B37451%5D%202.png)
SHRED!
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MELT!
![image[39792].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b7636d_e723fa605cb749488885c484287413b2~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_77,h_104,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/image%5B39792%5D.png)
MAKE!
~10,772
pipette tip boxes collected
1900
LBS of plastic shredded
32
10 KG SHeets made
~270
Students engaged
Data Updated 10.30.25
Since July 2023.. we have
Learn more about the project from this amazing video :)
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First art sale 11.4.2025
HOW ARE WE IMPROVING RECYCLING?
TOTAL Transparency
We strive to share our process in a way that is easy to understand and helps to increase trust in recycling.
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We share our collection, processing, and safety data for accountability and progress hype!
Thoughtful Design
We work to make products that are built with their material properties and second life in mind.
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We create to make products that are needed and will divert waste from landfills for as long as possible, aiming to break the water bottle cycle.
Research Development
We work to identify and create processes to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste streams that currently head to landfills.
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Material testing allows us to ensure our recycled plastic is junk in spirit, not in material properties.
ABOUT THE JUNKRATZ
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Meet Zack and Elly the cofounders of JunkLabz! We are passionate about "junk" and one of our main goals is to redefine how our community perceives waste.
In our linear economy, waste is consider an unavoidable outcome. This misconception is leading to material depletion, landfill abundance, and wasted money. We strive to show the community the value hidden in their waste in order to optimize our material use in production. Available recycling methods discourage users through ambiguous processing and limited visibility of results. We take pride in sharing our recycling journey to build trust with users and create end products with elevated value for community gain. ​
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