Hazardous Material Disposal and Recycling
University personnel have the following options for getting rid of hazardous materials and potentially contaminated supplies and equipment.
Note: Not all options are available for all items.
1. SURPLUS IT.
- Check the list of accepted items before submitting a request for pickup.
- All potentially-contaminated items must have a Notice of Cleaning and Decontamination Form attached.
- Any equipment containing a radioactive source must by checked by EH&S Radiation Safety prior to pickup by UW Surplus.
2. DISPOSE OF IT.
Refer to the list below for disposal options depending on the item and/or potential hazard(s).
3. TREAT IT.
- On-site chemical treatment procedures must be approved by EH&S; you must have documented training and maintain an updated Chemical Treatment Log.
- On-site sterilization of biohazardous waste using an autoclave must follow the requirements listed on the Biohazardous Waste webpage.
4. RECYCLE IT.
- Use the Chemical Exchange feature in MyChem to recycle unused chemicals.
- Empty gas cylinders can be recycled, depending on the original contents.
- Mercury thermometers can be swapped for an alcohol-filled thermometer.
What type of material or equipment do you want to get rid of?
MATERIAL/EQUIPMENT |
CONTACT |
Asbestos-containing materials and equipment Includes 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 |
UW Facilities 206.685.3357 |
Automated External Defibrillators (AED) |
EH&S Building & Fire Safety 206.685.0341 |
Includes industrial, commercial, lithium and rechargeable batteries |
EH&S Environmental Programs 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu |
Biohazardous waste |
EH&S Biological Safety 206.221.7770 |
Biological and radiological mixed waste | EH&S Radiation Safety
206.543.0463 |
Biological safety cabinet |
EH&S Lab Safety 206.543-9510 |
Equipment containing capacitors and transformers may contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and include electron microscopes and x-ray equipment |
EH&S Environmental Programs 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu |
Safety cans, including but not limited to faucet, bench, gas, dip tank, plunger, daub, and oily waste Laboratory glass, plastic and tubing, including 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 Follow the instructions on the Sharps and Lab Glass Waste page for containers that may be contaminated with biohazards. |
EH&S Environmental Programs 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu |
Chemical exchange (recycling) |
EH&S MyChem 206.616.4046 |
Review the Chemical Waste Management section of the UW Laboratory Safety Manual and Request a Waste Evaluation if you are unsure how to dispose of a chemical. |
EH&S Environmental Programs 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu |
Chemical treatment by generator Includes acid/base neutralization, Cidex OPA treatment, ethidium bromide, formaldehyde, mercuric chloride |
EH&S Environmental Programs |
EH&S Biological Safety 206.221.7770 |
|
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. |
EH&S Radiation Safety 206.543.0467 |
Fire extinguishers |
EH&S Building & Fire Safety 206.685.0341 |
Gas cylinders |
EH&S Building & Fire Safety 206.685.0341 |
EH&S Radiation Safety 206.543.0463 |
|
Includes 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. |
EH&S Biological Safety 206.221.7770 |
Lead-containing materials and equipment Includes lead bricks, shots, sheets, pigs, lead-lined items, weights, sheeting, foil, and metallic lead that has been painted, encapsulated or covered |
UW Recycling |
Lead-containing radiation shielding Includes lead aprons and other lead-containing shielding that is defective and/or contaminated with radioactive materials |
EH&S Environmental Programs |
Mercury-containing instruments Includes temperature or pressure measurement devices, coulter counters, silver-tipped thermometers/thermostats |
EH&S Environmental Programs 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu |
Includes motor oil and all other oils from laboratories and small equipment |
EH&S Environmental Programs 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu |
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)-contaminated equipment Includes some oil-filled electrical equipment, transformers, fluorescent light ballasts, and some building materials |
EH&S Environmental Programs 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu |
Pressurized containers/vessels |
EH&S Building & Fire Safety 206.685.0341 |
Radiological waste |
EH&S Radiation Safety 206.543.0467 |
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 |
EH&S Radiation Safety 206.543.0467 |
Includes syringes with and without needles, lancets, scalpel blades, razor blades |
EH&S Biological Safety 206.221.7770 |
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 |
206.685.1573 |
X-ray film and X-ray plates |
EH&S Environmental Programs |