As cities around the globe prepare to recognize World Environment Day 2025—this year spotlighting the global drive to end plastic pollution—the construction industry finds itself at a pivotal crossroads. In urban centers like New York City and Boston, the challenge of reducing plastic waste in interiors construction is urgent, complex, and to those who are paying attention, frustrating.

As cities around the globe prepare to recognize World Environment Day 2025—this year spotlighting the global drive to end plastic pollution—the construction industry finds itself at a pivotal crossroads. In urban centers like New York City and Boston, the challenge of reducing plastic waste in interiors construction is urgent, complex, and to those who are paying attention, frustrating.

In the wake of the pandemic, we’ve seen a fundamental shift in how cities use space. Commercial tenants are prioritizing quality over quantity, leaving older office buildings underoccupied and underutilized. At the same time, an increase in healthcare investment and technological advancements have led to a surge life sciences growth across the nation. These two trends have set the stage for an unconventional solution: converting office buildings into lab space.