this post was submitted on 20 Sep 2025
1 points (100.0% liked)

Science Memes

16827 readers
404 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Squirrelsdrivemenuts@lemmy.world 0 points 3 days ago (2 children)

And we don't throw pipette tips in the ocean, we throw them in the biohazard box. While not better for the environment, at least we don't choke baby turtles.

[–] FireRetardant@lemmy.world 0 points 3 days ago

The lab is a much more controlled environment. I trust a lab tech to dispose of the tips as per protocol, which could reduce the number of tips that end up as litter.

[–] prex@aussie.zone 0 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

How many of them get incinerated? I know most large hospitals near me do that but do they take the waste from the gazillion small labs & diagnostics places?

In the three countries I worked in (netherlands, belgium and usa) all level 2 lab waste was collected in biohazard boxes and taken to special lab waste management. I assume they get the same treatment as hospital waste. We did have the non-biohazard labs in which pipettes just went in the normal trash. I assume you can't get a biohazard lab approved without organizing special waste pickup.