Sustainability Recycling Programs
Recycling Programs for a Cleaner Tomorrow
From programs for recycling pipette tips to garment recycling, we have solutions developed with your sustainability goals in mind.
Fisher Scientific Recycling Solutions
Find Recycling Programs and Responsible End-of-Use Options for Your Products
Circularity is a transformative approach to sustainability, where products are designed, used, and recycled continuously, minimizing waste and conserving resources. Our guide helps you manage the end-of-use phase of your products by providing information on various plastics and materials, along with information on where and who can recycle them. We make recycling accessible by helping you locate programs and major recyclers in your area.
Our aim is to provide you with the knowledge and resources needed to help support getting your products recycled and repurposed effectively. Our take-back programs reclaim instruments and components, avoiding wasteful disposal and meeting global recycling requirements. Let us help you recycle, preventing excess waste from occupying space in your lab or landfill.
Our guidance covers the recycling of plastic labware and instruments deemed non-hazardous according to local and country-specific regulations. The listed recyclers have a broad regional presence, helping to ensure accessibility for many users. Detailed instructions and further information on recycling can be obtained from the respective recycling programs and providers. This guidance currently applies to the United States and selected European countries only.*
Together, we can close the loop and build a more sustainable future.
Key to Acronyms, Resin Identification Codes, and Common Names for Plastics Types
ABS (#7): Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
EPS (#6): Expanded polystyrene
FEP (#7): Fluorinated ethylene propylene
HDPE (#2): High-density polyethylene
LDPE (#4): Low-density polyethylene
PC (#7): Polycarbonate
PE: Polyethylene
PES: Polyether sulfone
PET/PETE (#1): Polyethylene terephthalate
PETG (#7): Polyethylene terephthalate glycol
PFA (#7): Perfluoroalkoxy
PTFE (#7): Polytetrafluoroethylene
PP (#5): Polypropylene
PPCO (#5): Polypropylene copolymer
PS (#6): Polystyrene
EPE: Expanded polyethylene
EPU: Expanded polyurethane
TPE: Thermoplastic elastomers
- Labware and Supplies
- Lab Equipment, Instruments, and Accessories
- Safety Products
- Packaging
Labware and Supplies
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling (Location) |
|---|---|---|
| #2 HDPE | Thermo Scientific™ Nalgene™ Graduated HDPE Plastic Beakers | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) |
| #5 PP / PPCO | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) | |
| #6 PS | Fisherbrand™ Lids for Fisherbrand Polystyrene Beakers with Pouring Lip | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Veolia (France, Germany, United Kingdom) |
| #7 PFA | Thermo Scientific™ Nalgene™ FPA Plastic Beakers BRANDTECH™ PFA Beakers | Not commonly available |
| #7 PTFE | PTFE beaker lids | Not commonly available |
| Silicone | Silicone beaker lids | Not commonly available |
| Stainless steel | Stainless steel beakers | Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| Multilayer film | Bioprocessing containers SUT bags | Thermo Fisher Scientific BPC Recycling (Canada, United States) |
| Silicone | Tubing | Not commonly available |
| TPE | Tubing | Not commonly available |
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| #5 PP | Eisco™ Polypropylene Petri Dishes with Covers | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) |
| #6 PS | Petri dishes | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Veolia (France, Germany, United Kingdom) |
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| #5 PP with PES membrane | Syringe filters | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) |
| #6 PS with PES membrane | Disposable filter units Bottle top filters | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
| #7 ABS | Not commonly available | |
| #7 Acrylic | Not commonly available |
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| #1 PET | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) | |
| #2 HDPE | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) | |
| #4 LDPE | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) | |
| #5 PP/PPCO | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) | |
| #7 PC | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) | |
| #7 PETG | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) | |
| #7 FEP/PFA | Not commonly available | |
| #7 PTFE | Not commonly available | |
| PMP | Not commonly available | |
| Rubber | Not commonly available | |
| Silicone | Not commonly available | |
| Stainless steel | Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| #4 LDPE | Nalgene™ LDPE Jugs with Closure | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
| #5 PP/PPCO | Nalgene™ PPCO Jugs with Closures Nalgene™ Wide-Mouth Straight Sided PPCO Jars with Closure | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) |
| #7 PC | Nalgene™ Straight Sided Wide-Mouth Polycarbonate Jars with Closure | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| #5 PP | Pipette tips | Thermo Scientific TipCycle Program (United States) |
| #5 PP | Pipette tip racks and boxes | Thermo Scientific TipCycle Program (United States) Thermo Scientific Cyclebox Program (United Kingdom) TerraCycle (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom) |
Material type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
#1 PET | Thermo Scientific™ Nalgene™ Square PET Media Bottles | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
#2 HDPE | High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Bottles Thermo Scientific™ Nalgene™ Tamper Evident Closures Lids | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) |
#4 LDPE | Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) Bottles | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
#5 PP / PPCO | Polypropylene (PPCO) Bottles Thermo Scientific™ Nalgene™ Polypropylene Pour Spout Lids | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) |
#7 PC | Polycarbonate (PC) Bottles | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
#7 PETG | Thermo Scientific™ Nalgene™ Square PETG Media Bottles | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
#7 FEP/PFA | Fluropolymer FEP and PFA bottles | Not commonly available |
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| #5 PP/PPCO | Microplates Deepwell plates Plate covers | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) TerraCycle (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom) |
| #6 PS | Crystallization microscopes Clear microplate lids | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Veolia (France, Germany, United Kingdom) |
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| Rigid PE | Transport vials | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
| #5 PP/PPCO | Flip-top vials Centrifuge tubes Conical tubes | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) TerraCycle (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom) |
Lab Equipment, Instruments, and Accessories
| Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed materials with copper | iBlot™ Transfer Stacks | Thermo Fisher recycling program (European Union, United States) |
| Mixed material electronic chips | Ion Torrent Chips | See below (Canada, European Union, United States) |
The Ion Torrent™ chip recycling program provides customers with a convenient way to recycle used Ion Torrent chips. To recover valuable metals from these chips, we’re partnering with two reputable, certified recyclers in the United States, Canada, and Europe to collect and process the chips. To recycle your Ion Torrent chips, simply mail your used chips to the location closest to you using the addresses below.
United States Gannon & Scott Gannon & Scott | European Union REUZEit BV | Canada ERS International |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
Mixed material reagent cartridge | Applied Biosystems™ SeqStudio™ Cartridge | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
Chromatography and mass spectrometry without coolants, refrigerants, or gases | Chromatography columns, systems, and mass spectrometers | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified |
High-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) instruments | Dionex™ Summit HPLC Systems Thermo Scientific™ ACCELA LC Systems Thermo Finnigan Surveyor HPLC Systems | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified |
Mass spectrometry | Thermo Scientific™ Pierce™ Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Thermo Scientific™ HRAM Orbitrap Mass Spectrometer | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified Trade in and up Mass Spectrometer Program |
| Stainless Steel Columns | LC Columns in Chromatography Consumables | Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
Lab equipment with coolant or refrigerants | Refrigerators and incubators | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified
|
Lab equipment with coolant or refrigerants | Freezers | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified ULT Trade Up Program (United States) (contact sales rep.) |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
Lab equipment without coolant, refrigerants, or gasses | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified | |
Centrifuges | Thermo Scientific™ Centrifuges | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
Lab instruments without coolant, refrigerants, or gases | Microscopes | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified
|
Electron microscopy | Electron microscopy | Certified used Electron Microscope buyback, resale, and recycling program |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
DNA sequencing systems without coolant refrigerants, or gasses | qPCR PCR | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified
|
Sample prep | Thermo Scientific™ KingFisher™ Flex Thermo Scientific™ KingFisher™ Presto Thermo Scientific™ MagMAX™ Express 96 Particle Processor | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified |
PCR instruments | Real-Time PCR Digital PCR Applied Biosystems™ QuantStudio™ | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified Real-Time PCR and Digital PCR Instrument Trade-In Program Refurbished qPCR Research Instruments |
Thermal cyclers | Applied Biosystems™ Thermal Cyclers Applied Biosystems™ ProFlex™ Applied Biosystems™ Veriti™ | Recyclers with E-Stewards or R2 certified Trade-in/donate Thermal Cyclers |
Safety Products
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
Nitrile gloves | All glove brands | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) TerraCycle (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom) |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
Disposable laboratory safety wear | Bouffants and hair nets Boot and shoe covers Garments | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) TerraCycle (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom) |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
#7 Polycarbonate | Reusable safety glasses | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) TerraCycle (Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom) |
Packaging
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
#2 HDPE | Plastic buckets and drums | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
#3 PVC | No longer used by Thermo Fisher for packaging | Not commonly available |
#4 LDPE film | Stretch wrap Stretch film | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, United States) |
#5 PP | Plastic banding Labels Packaging tape | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States) |
#6 EPS | Styrofoam coolers | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
Cardboard corrugated | External shipping box Gaylord pallet boxes | Readily recyclable |
Cardboard corrugated with EPU foam inside | Shippers including E327s and E90s | Not commonly available |
Fiber with metal closure | Fiber drums | Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
Paper | Shipping labels Inner boxes Shipping paperwork Inserts | Readily recyclable |
Steel | Steel can Steel pails 55-gallon metal drums | Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
Wood | Pallets, crates | Veolia (France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States) |
Material Type | Product Example | Suggested Recycling |
#1 PET | Clamshell packaging | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
#4 LDPE film | Plastic bags Shipping bubbles | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) Triumvirate Environmental (Canada, United States) Veolia (Canada, United States) |
#4 LDPE flexible pouch with viscous gel refrigerants | Gel ice packs | Not commonly available |
#6 PS | Clamshell packaging | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
#6 EPS | Packing peanuts EPS foam inserts (white or black foam) | Polycarbin (Canada, United States, United Kingdom) |
Cardboard corrugated | Packaging dividers | Readily recyclable |
EPE | Flexible foam Spongy foam | Not commonly available Triumvirate Environmental (case by case United States) |
EPU | Rigid foam | Not commonly available |
Multilayer film | Product bags | Not commonly available Triumvirate Environmental (case by case United States) |
Paper | Fill paper Product inserts | Readily recyclable |
Compliance with the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
Products with this symbol are required to comply with the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2012/19/EU.
Contact your sales representative to learn more about Fisher Scientific equipment and instrument trade-in, return, and recycling programs.
*Thermo Fisher Scientific and its affiliates make no assertions or guarantees as to the services/products that third-party recyclers offer or their accuracy with regard to processes, results, or outcomes. Thermo Fisher Scientific takes no legal or financial responsibility for services, products, or the statements made by third-party recyclers, either on this page or in its marketing materials. Each customer of these recyclers must make its own determinations in whether to utilize these entities for their intended purposes.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.