Recycling

Non-hazard items that are disposed of in the landfill trash may also be disposed of as recycling, if the item meets recycling guidelines.

Find more information and a printable poster on the Penn Facilities website. 

Click on diagram below to enlarge guidance on Lab Recycling.

Here at Penn, we are striving to make a positive impact on the environment.  The University's commitment to sustainability through its Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 is a key driver in making this positive impact. 

In 2020, over 3.2 million disposable gloves were ordered and delivered to Penn's campus, with the key word here being disposable.

Disposable gloves (nitrile, latex, rubber) not contaminated with hazardous material or used with biological material (human/recombinant/pathogenic) may be collected in a Zero Waste Glove Recycling Box purchased through a partnership with Fisher Scientific and TerraCycle. Order one of the collection boxes, fill it up, and mail it out using the prepaid shipping label. There is also a limited supply of boxes available in the Chemical Stockroom. 

USE POLICY:

• Identify a responsible lab staff member to oversee the box/program in your lab.
• The responsible person must receive an OK from Building Administrator to place the box. Please make sure the Building Administrator has the responsible person’s contact information.
• Boxes cannot be in use for longer than 90 days. Date the box when placed for collection. Purchase the smallest box size appropriate for your lab’s collection volume.
• Locate the collection box with the lab trash, away from lab benches, hazardous materials and chemicals.
• Boxes must be intact to ship out.
• Lab staff is responsible to bring the closed, labeled box to mail room:
  • Tape the lid on the corners.
  • Attached the prepaid shipping label to the box.
  • Bring the box to the building’s loading dock or mail room for UPS pick-up.

Find additional details at Procurement Services. 

Here at Penn, we are striving to make a positive impact on the environment.  The University's commitment to sustainability through its Climate and Sustainability Action Plan 3.0 is a key driver in making this positive impact.  

In 2020, over 1.1 million disposable masks were ordered and delivered to Penn's campus, with the key word here being disposable. 

Through a partnership with Fisher Scientific and TerraCycle, disposable surgical masks can now be recycled. The process is simple: Order one of the collection boxes, fill it up, and mail it out using the prepaid shipping label. There is also a limited supply of boxes available in the Chemical Stockroom. 

USE POLICY:

• Identify a responsible lab staff member to oversee the box/program in your lab.
• The responsible person must receive an OK from Building Administrator to place the box. Please make sure the Building Administrator has the responsible person’s contact information.
• Boxes cannot be in use for longer than 90 days. Date the box when placed for collection. Purchase the smallest box size appropriate for your lab’s collection volume.
• Locate the collection box with the lab trash, away from lab benches, hazardous materials and chemicals.
• Boxes must be intact to ship out.
• Lab staff is responsible to bring the closed, labeled box to mail room:
  • Tape the lid on the corners.
  • Attached the prepaid shipping label to the box.
  • Bring the box to the building’s loading dock or mail room for UPS pick-up.

Find additional details at Procurement Services.