One lab's waste can be another one's treasure. For year round exchange of lab items, materials, and equipment, utilize Stanford ReUse, a site to post and claim items across campus. Contribute to the reuse and sharing economy by posting items on throughout the year and making it your first stop before buying something new! Please note: The reuse site is restricted to permanent university staff only - students, temporary staff, and affiliates do not have access. View the ReUse Site Instruction Guide.
Minimize Chemical Waste
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) maintains an inventory of surplus chemicals that are available to the Stanford research community, free of charge. The Surplus Chemical Program is an integral part of the University’s waste minimization efforts. It helps researchers improve the environment and save costs by reducing the volume of chemicals that are purchased and disposed of as waste.
If reducing the number of tips used is not practical, labs can still reduce plastic waste by reusing the boxes. Many companies offer reusable boxes for pipette tip racks often at a fraction of the cost and require half of the plastic to manufacture. Consider ordering refillable tip boxes for your lab to save money and reduce plastic waste.
Recycling in Labs
Many lab items can be recycled, including pipette tip boxes, bottles and containers, and packaging materials. Recycling bins are provided to labs and serviced daily by custodians. Looking for additional guidance on what can be recycled in the lab? Refer to Environmental, Health & Safety's (EHS) Recycling and Disposal Guide.
Got a unique item in your lab that you're unsure about recycling? Contact the Office of Sustainability who can determine recyclability and collaborate on a sustainable solution.
Lab gloves cannot be recycled in traditional recycling bins on campus. However, if collected separately, nitrile and latex gloves that are uncontaminated and non-hazardous can be turned into energy. Stanford provides five-gallon buckets for the collection of lab gloves for this program. Separated lab gloves are sent to Ingenium, which converts them into to energy. In 2021, Stanford earned an Environmental Impact Achievement award from RightCycle by Kimberly Clark for recycling the most gloves of any university in California. In total, Stanford recycled 1,727 lbs. of Kimberly Clark gloves in one year! Acceptable lab gloves include those that are:
Not used in a BSL3 lab and not used with a BSL2 agent
Not used with acutely toxic materials
Not stained with hazardous chemicals and not used to clean up a hazardous chemical spill
Have not been in contact with radioactive materials
Below is a list of current glove collection locations. To start collecting gloves in your lab or to set up a collection point in your building, contact the Office of Sustainability.
