Tip Box Recycling
The Trinity Centre for Biomedical Engineering (TCBE) has introduced a simple and effective pipette tip box recycling system, helping reduce plastic waste in the lab. So far, the team has successfully recycled 260 kg of plastic—a huge achievement!
A big thank you to Simon Carroll and the TCBE Green Team for developing this initiative and for sharing their process and documentation with the wider Trinity research community.
How the Tip Box Recycling Works
✅ Only Sarstedt tip boxes are eligible for recycling
✅ Only boxes used in cell culture hoods can be included (to avoid chemical contamination)
✅ Disinfection required: All parts must be sprayed with 70% ethanol or IMS before being removed from the biosafety cabinet and placed into cardboard boxes
✅ Include a Biological Hazard Declaration Form for each return
✅ Once 5–10 carboard boxes are filled, contact Sarstedt to arrange pickup (they will collect them during regular delivery runs)
Let’s keep up the momentum and reduce lab plastic waste—one tip box at a time!