Each month, Recycling Renewal Program (RRP) Coordinators, Sonja and Helen, answer your questions on what can and cannot be recycled at Health Authority owned hospital and residential care sites, where the RRP has been implemented.

Recycling in health care facilities is different to recycling at home or in an office. Our facilities generate biomedical waste, so our recyclables pose a higher risk to recycling vendor staff that sort items by hand. We want to help ensure you have the information you need to dispose of your waste items correctly.

Missed previous editions?

We post the recycling question and answer series with photos and posters on the BCGreenCare.ca site here.

Edition #6: Graduated Cylinders

Q. Where should I dispose of graduated cylinders at Lower Mainland hospitals and residential care facilities?
Graduated cylinders must be disposed of in the garbage.

Q. Why can’t I recycle graduated cylinders?
Since there is no way to guarantee that the graduated cylinder didn’t contain blood or bodily fluid, our recycling vendor doesn’t accept them, even when empty.

Even if you know it was clean or unused, the vendor won’t. To protect themselves, they assume the worst. This is why they must be placed in the garbage, even if clean or unused.

Remember: waste graduated cylinders with blood or body fluids containing blood go into the non-anatomical container.

Send us your questions

Unsure about what can and can’t be recycled and why? Or do you have an inspiring story about recycling in your unit? Send an email to Sonja.janousek@fraserhealth.ca. We’ll include your question in a future edition of Ask Sonja and Helen, or contact you directly.