In your lab, are pipette tips simply thrown away?
💡 Did you know that several companies actually offer to collect and recycle them?
And that’s not all!
Many materials used in labs every day can be recycled or properly disposed of – either through external providers or university-based services. In the following we will give you an overview of:
- Materials that can be recycled
- Companies offering recycling programs
- University providers with special disposal services
- Labs and faculties already participating
Maybe your institute is already part of it – and if not, take this as inspiration to bring recycling into your lab, your institute, or even your entire faculty.
👉 See the full recycling checklist here.
📬 We’d love to hear from you!
Contact us at viola.kirner@cibss.uni-freiburg.de if you know of more eco-friendly disposal or recycling options for lab materials that should be included on this site.
External Providers:
Styrofoam boxes
Upon direct request, Thermo Fisher collects used styrofoam boxes and recycles them. Styrofoam boxes must not be disposed of in the yellow recycling bin!
PET cell culture bottles
PAN Biotech accepts media bottles from all suppliers in a collection box. The entire Signalhaus is already making use of this option.
Toner cartridges and ink cartridges
Collect toner cartridges and ink cartridges in your lab or institute and have them picked up by Return. The entire Signalhaus is already making use of this option. The university’s waste management officers provide recycling bins for collecting toner cartridges. See more here.
Pipette tips
Starlab and Thermo Fisher collect and recycle your pipette tips. The laboratories of the Signalling Factory & Robotics and the AG Köhn are already making use of this option.
Pipette tips with filter
Nerbeplus supplies filter tips (autoclaved and sterile) in refill packs (cardboard boxes). The tip boxes can be kept; only the tray containing the filter tips needs to be replaced and can be disposed of in the yellow bin. The AG Grosse laboratory makes use of this option.
Pipette tip boxes
Sarstedt und Biozym and, upon request, individual companies such as Ratiolab, accept pipette tip boxes. The laboratories of the entire Fakulty for Biology are already making use of this option.
Internal Providers:
Aluminum foil and gas cartridges
The workshops of the individual institutes and faculties collect aluminum foil and gas cartridges. This enables better recycling than simply disposing of them in the yellow bin. Get in touch with your local workshop to also separate and dispose of other materials such as batteries, rechargeable batteries, metals, electronics, and energy-saving lamps.
Batteries & rechargeable batteries
The university’s waste management officers provide recycling bins for collecting batteries and rechargeable batteries. Get in touch with your local workshop to also separate and dispose of other materials such as metals, electronics, and energy-saving lamps.