Formalin Recycling in Pathology

Team Members

• Maggie Chen — Undergraduate Pathology Thesis Student

• Rebekah Jacques — Principal Investigator

Project Summary
Formalin is a cornerstone of pathology diagnostics but comes with a significant environmental and disposal burden. The Western PaLM EARTH Team is piloting a closed-loop formalin recycling system that filters and reuses clean formalin from surgical pathology biopsies for use in the autopsy suite. This initiative aims to reduce hazardous waste, lower operational costs, and shrink the environmental footprint of pathology services. The team is developing a scalable standard operating procedure that could be adopted by hospitals across Canada, helping drive sustainable change in pathology practice.