Hazardous Material Disposal and Recycling

Please contact UW Facilities Regulated Materials Office at 206.685.3357 or uwrmo@uw.edu to dispose of asbestos-containing materials and equipment, including: autoclaves, bunsen burner mats and gauze pads, laboratory ovens, older furnaces, fire-proof file cabinets, anything that produces high heat, fire-proof cabinets, fireproof gloves, mitts and sleeves, laboratory benchtops, laboratory fume hoods lined with transite asbestos cement.

Please contact EH&S Environmental Programs at 206.616.5835 or chmwaste@uw.edu to dispose of batteries, including: industrial, commercial, lithium and rechargeable batteries.

Please contact EH&S Radiation Safety at 206.543.0463 or radsaf@uw.edu to dispose of biological and radiological mixed waste.

Please contact EH&S Environmental Programs at 206.616.5835 or chmwaste@uw.edu to dispose of capacitors and transformers, including equipment containing: capacitors and transformers may contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and include electron microscopes and x-ray equipment.

Please contact EH&S MyChem at 206.616.4046 or mychem@uw.edu to dispose of chemical exchange (recycling).

Please contact EH&S Environmental Programs at 206.616.5835 or chmwaste@uw.edu to dispose of chemical treatment by generator, including: acid/base neutralization, Cidex OPA treatment, ethidium bromide, formaldehyde, mercuric chloride.

Please contact EH&S Biological Safety at 206.221.7770 or ehsbio@uw.edu to dispose of exit signs that contain H-3 or other radioactive material.

Check the label to determine whether the sign contains H-3 or other radioactive material.

Please contact EH&S Building & Fire Safety at 206.685.0341 to dispose of gas cylinders.

Please contact EH&S Biological Safety at 206.221.7770 or ehsbio@uw.edu to dispose of glass, plastic and tubing, including: laboratory items that may be contaminated with biohazards, such as bottles, jars, jugs, carboys, flasks, caps, stoppers, droppers, funnels, graduated cylinders, spatulas, rods, tubes, racks, microplates, pipette tips, broken glass, and fragile glass items, such as pasteur pipettes, slides and cover slips.

Refer to the Empty Chemical Containers Focus Sheet for laboratory items that contained chemicals.

Please contact EH&S Environmental Programs at 206.616.5835 or chmwaste@uw.edu to dispose of lead-containing radiation shielding, including: lead aprons and other lead-containing shielding that is defective and/or contaminated with radioactive materials. 

Please contact EH&S Environmental Programs at 206.616.5835 or chmwaste@uw.edu to dispose of oil, including: motor oil and all other oils from laboratories and small equipment.

Please contact EH&S Building & Fire Safety at 206.685.0341 to dispose of pressurized containers/vessels.

Please contact EH&S Radiation Safety at 206.543.0467 or radsaf@uw.edu to dispose of smoke detectors containing americium 241 or other radioactive material.

Check the label to determine whether the smoke detector contains americium 241 or other radioactive material.

Please contact UW Surplus at 206.685.1573 or surplus@uw.edu to dispose of surplus equipment.

Potentially-contaminated equipment must have a Notice of Cleaning and Decontamination Form attached. 

Includes anaerobic chambers, balances or scales, benchtop instruments (refractometers, spectrophotometers), biological safety cabinets, centrifuges, circulators and chillers, cryostats, dead tanks, dryers and freeze dryers, environmental chambers, evaporators, flammables cabinets, freezers, fume hoods, furnaces, gas cylinder holders, glassware, glove boxes, homogenizers and grinders, hoods, incubators, magnetic stirrers and hot plates, meters (pH meters, voltmeters), microfuges, microscopes, mixers, PCR chambers, pipettors, refrigerators, rotators, shakers, sinks, storage cabinets and lockers (used to store chemicals or hazardous waste), vibrators and sonicators, water baths

Any equipment containing a radioactive source must by checked by EH&S Radiation Safety (206.543.0467, radsaf@uw.edu) prior to being surplused. Refer to the Preparing Radiation Items for Surplus guidelines.

Includes, but not limited to any item with a radioactive sticker, gas chromatographs, lasers, scintillation counters, x-ray equipment