Do we recycle coffee cups? Are stir sticks considered organic waste? Do we recycle batteries? Explore below to find the answer to these questions and more.
| Item | Wastestream | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 mL & 200 µl plastic pipette tips | Sharps | |
| 10 µl pipette tips | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| 6/12/24/96 well plates | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Aerosol can | Landfill | |
| Aluminum cans | Recycle | |
| Aluminum foil (tin foil) | Landfill | |
| Aluminum trays | Recycle | |
| Artificial plants | Landfill | |
| Balloons | Landfill | |
| Bandaids | Landfill | |
| Bandaids or dressing containing dry blood or body fluids | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Batteries | Used battery container located behind the security desk, in the lobby of the LKSKI. | |
| Binders | Landfill | |
| Black plastic containers | Landfill | |
| Blades | Sharps | |
| Bleach/cleaning bottles | Recycle | |
| Books | Recycle | |
| Bottle caps | Recycle | |
| Boxboard | Recycle | |
| Bread | Organics | |
| Broken equipment | LKSKI loading dock next to the compactor | All equipment must be decontaminated before being disposed of. If the equipment is heavy/oversized, please contact Housekeeping (416-697-6941) to assist you. |
| Broken glass (flasks, bottles) | Sharps | |
| Bubble wrap | Landfill | |
| Calculator | Landfill | |
| Can lids | Recycle | |
| Candy wrapper | Landfill | |
| Cardboard (ie. boxes, cans, tubes) | Recycle | |
| Cardboard drink tray | Recycle | |
| CD cases | Landfill | |
| CDs | Landfill | |
| Cell culture flasks | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Cell scrapers | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Centrifuge tubes plastic packaging bag | Landfill | |
| Cereal box | Recycle | |
| Chip bag | Landfill | |
| Chocolate box | Recycle | |
| Cleaning wipes | Landfill | |
| Clipboards | Landfill | |
| Coffee cup lid | Recycle | |
| Coffee cup sleeve | Recycle | |
| Coffee cups (lined with wax) | Landfill | Starbucks, Subway, Tim Hortons, McDonalds ext. |
| Coffee filters | Organics | |
| Coffee grounds | Organics | |
| Coiled notebook | Recycle | |
| Coloured paper | Recycle | |
| Compostable bags | Organics | |
| Contaminated absorbent pads | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Contaminated gloves | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Contaminated paper towels | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Cotton balls and swabs | Landfill | |
| Countertop absorbent pads | Landfill | |
| Cracker box | Recycle | |
| Crinkly plastic packaging | Landfill | |
| Cryotubes | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Dairy products | Organics | |
| Dish detergent bottle | Recycle | |
| Disposable gowns | Landfill | |
| Elastic bands | Landfill | |
| Empty coffee creamer container | Recycle | |
| Empty hand sanitizer bottles | Recycle | |
| Envelopes | Recycle | |
| E-waste | Helpdesk x5751 | |
| Falcon tubes | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| File folders | Recycle | |
| Flowers | Organics | |
| Foam microscope slide box | Landfill | |
| Fridge/freezer | Engineering (x5080) | |
| Frozen food box | Recycle | |
| Frozen juice container | Recycle | |
| Fruit | Organics | |
| Fruit containers | Recycle | |
| Furniture | Housekeeping (416-697-6941) | Desks, filing cabinets, bookcases, chairs |
| Gift bags | Recycle | |
| Gift wrap | Landfill | |
| Glass | Recycle | Rinsed Remove lid if applicable Coloured glass products accepted (eg. green glass, brown glass) Do not dispose of broken glass in the recycle. All broken glass should be disposed of in the sharps bins. |
| Glass ampules | Sharps | |
| Glass bottom dish | Sharps | |
| Glass coverslips | Sharps | |
| Glass pasteur pipettes | Sharps | |
| Glass petri dish | Sharps | |
| Glass slides | Sharps | |
| Glass vacutainer tubes | Sharps | |
| Glass vials | Sharps | |
| Glossy paper | Recycle | |
| Glove box | Recycle | |
| Gloves | Landfill | |
| Granola bar wrapper | Landfill | |
| Gum packaging | Recycle | |
| Highlighters | Landfill | |
| Hole punch | Landfill | |
| Ice packs | Landfill | |
| Ink/toner cartridges | Can be recycled at the receiving area on B2 PGT | |
| Juice boxes | Recycle | |
| Kleenex box | Recycle | |
| Kraft paper packaging | Recycle | |
| Latex/nitrile gloves | Landfill | |
| Magazines | Recycle | |
| Markers | Landfill | |
| Mask box | Recycle | |
| Masks | Landfill | |
| Mason jars | Recycle | |
| Meat, fish, giblets and bones | Organics | |
| Microfuge tubes | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Microscope slide box with metal clasp | Landfill | |
| Microscope slide box without metal clasp | Recycle | |
| Milk cartons | Recycle | |
| Molded plastic (eg. toys) | Landfill | |
| Muffin and cupcake wrappers | Organics | |
| Needles with syringes | Sharps | |
| Newspaper | Recycle | |
| Nuts, pits, seeds and shells | Organics | |
| Oxivir wipes container | Recycle | |
| Padded Envelope | Recycle | |
| Paper | Recycle | |
| Paper bags (non soiled) | Recycle | |
| Paper clips | Landfill | |
| Paper towel rolls | Recycle | |
| Pasta | Organics | |
| Pens | Landfill | |
| Petri dish plastic packaging bag | Landfill | |
| Pipette box | Recycle | |
| Pizza | Organics | |
| Plants | Organics | |
| Plastic bags | Landfill | |
| Plastic cell culture tubes | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Plastic cutlery | Landfill | Forks, spoons, knives, tongs |
| Plastic food wrap | Landfill | |
| Plastic milk bags | Landfill | |
| Plastic Pasteur pipettes | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Plastic Petri dishes with bacterial/fungal cultures | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Plastic stir sticks | Landfill | |
| Plastic straws | Landfill | |
| Pop bottles and cans | Recycle | |
| Pringles container | Recycle | |
| Purification columns | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Salads | Organics | |
| Scalpels | Sharps | |
| Serological pipettes | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Shipping and packaging materials | Landfill | |
| SMH computers, laptops, phones, monitors, docking stations | Helpdesk x5751 | |
| Soil/dirt | Organics | |
| Soiled cardboard food packaging | Organics | |
| Soiled napkins | Organics | |
| Soiled paper bags | Organics | |
| Soiled paper food packaging | Organics | |
| Soiled paper plates | Organics | |
| Soiled paper towels | Organics | When working in the lab space, please dispose of soiled paper towels in the LANDFILL. |
| Soiled pizza boxes | Organics | |
| Soiled tissues (kleenex) | Organics | |
| Soup can | Recycle | |
| Sponges | Landfill | |
| Sterile plastic packaging | Landfill | eg. cell culture plastic packaging bags, syringe packaging, autoclave packaging |
| Styrofoam | Landfill | |
| Styrofoam boxes | MedStore recycling program | Please place all styrofoam boxes 20" x 20" x 20" and smaller in the designated styrofoam bin in the LKSKI receiving area. |
| Sugar and tea packets | Landfill | |
| Syringes (without needles) | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Tape | Landfill | |
| Tea bags | Organics | |
| Twist ties | Landfill | |
| Vacutainer tubes | Biohazard yellow bags | |
| Vegetables | Organics | |
| Water bottle | Recycle | |
| Wax paper | Landfill | |
| Wooden chop sticks | Organics | |
| Wooden stir sticks | Organics | |
| Yogurt cup | Recycle | |
| Ziploc bags | Landfill |
Please take a moment to fill out this form to have your item added to our website or to give us some feedback about our waste management program.
*Please note that this is an anonymous feedback form. If you have any issues that require immediate assistance, please contact Research Facilities directly.
Batteries can be disposed of in the used battery container located behind the security desk, in the lobby of the LKSKI.
Please contact the Helpdesk at x5751.
To recycle toners and cartridges, drop them off in the Receiving area on B2 PGT.
Please contact engineering at x5080 or complete an Engineering Request.
All broken equipment should be taken down to the LKSKI loading dock and placed beside the compactor. If the equipment is oversized/heavy, please contact Housekeeping (416-697-6941) to assist you.
