Laboratory Recycling

On-Campus Recycling

EHS has partnered with the Office of Sustainability and Custodial Services to create a guide for the disposal of laboratory waste.  A poster from the Office of Sustainability is available to download and post in the lab.

Containers that were used with hazardous materials (biological, chemical, or radiological) must be disposed of properly.  Hazardous waste disposal guides are available under our Waste/Environmental section.  Gloves should always be disposed in the biohazardous waste tubs.

Paper, cardboard, and rinsed plastic containers labeled with #1 or #2 can be recycled as long as they were not used with hazardous material. 

Unused laboratory plastics that cannot be recycled may be placed in regular trash liners.  When disposing of a significant amount of unused plastics, such as a lab cleanout, please coordinate with EHS and FM Custodial staff.  Trash bags should not exceed 30 pounds. 

Off-Campus Recycling

There are several companies that specialize in recycling laboratory plastics and gloves.  Labs that purchase recycling boxes must ensure that items sent for recycling are not contaminated with any hazardous material (chemical, radioactive, or biological, including recombinant DNA).  Guidance for what may be recycled is included below.

Laboratory Plastic Recycling

Ensure you review the types of plastics that your company accepts.  Some companies also have flow charts (decision trees) and best practice guides that should be reviewed and followed; inquire with companies about these documents.

Recombinant DNA or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (rDNA)

• rDNA/recombinant organisms must be treated prior to disposal.  Plasticware exposed to these agents are not always appropriate for recycling.
• See BSL1/BSL2 below.

BSL1

• Can be recycled:
  • Plasticware exposed to risk group 1 agents.
  • Plasticware exposed to rDNA/recombinant organisms may be recycled if rinsed with a freshly made 1% or 10% (for items used with organic materials such as blood, serum, proteins) bleach solution for at least 10 minutes prior to recycling.
  • Plasticware exposed to chemicals such as salts and buffers. 
• Cannot be recycled:
  • Plasticware exposed to hazardous chemicals, including P- and U- listed chemicals.

BSL2

• Can be recycled:
  • Plasticware exposed to chemicals such as salts and buffers. 
• Cannot be recycled:
  • Plasticware exposed to risk group 2 agents or human derived materials (including human cell lines).
  • Plasticware exposed to hazardous chemicals, including P- and U- listed chemicals.

Labs with CDC/USDA/DNR or similar permits must review the language in the permit to ensure there are no disposal requirements for the material or residue from the material.

Laboratory Glove Recycling

• Gloves that may be recycled include those used in experiments with:
  • DNA/RNA isolation including PCR. 
  • Tissue culture with risk group 1/BSL1 agents.
  • Non-hazardous chemicals including salts and buffers.
• Gloves that may NOT be recycled include those exposed to rDNA (anything that could replicate in a living cell or be translated/transcribed) or recombinant organisms.

Other sustainability options

Using off-campus recycling programs can be expensive but there are additional ways to practice sustainability in your lab.

• Use of glassware: Glassware is not appropriate for use with risk group 2 agents or human derived material (including human cell lines).  Glassware may be used for non-hazardous reagents, such as filtering media.

• Turn off/on non-essential equipment when not in use.
  • It is recommended that BSCs are allowed to run for 5 minutes prior to use if these have been turned off.
• Purchase cardboard housed pipette tips.
• Turn -80⁰C freezers to -70⁰C (see My Green Labs Freezer Challenge).
• Purchase from companies that recycle their packaging such as Corning/Axygen/Falcon.
• Purchase rackless conical tubes and reuse Styrofoam racks from prior purchases.