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 Regulated Materials Office 206.685.3357 uwrmo@uw.edu
Automated External Defibrillators (AED)	EH&S Building & Fire Safety 206.685.0341
Batteries 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 ehsbio@uw.edu
Biological and radiological mixed waste	EH&S Radiation Safety 206.543.0463 radsaf@uw.edu
Biological safety cabinet	EH&S Lab Safety 206.543-9510 labcheck@uw.edu
Capacitors and transformers 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
Chemical containers (empty) Safety cans, including but not limited to faucet, bench, gas, dip tank, plunger, daub, and oily waste Drums, barrels, totes and containers used for safe storage; lab pack, overpack and salvage 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 mychem@uw.edu
Chemical waste disposal 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 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu
Chemotherapy and hazardous drugs (trace and non-trace)	EH&S Biological Safety 206.221.7770 ehsbio@uw.edu
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 radsaf@uw.edu
Fire extinguishers	EH&S Building & Fire Safety 206.685.0341
Gas cylinders	EH&S Building & Fire Safety 206.685.0341
Geiger meters / counters	EH&S Radiation Safety 206.543.0463 radsaf@uw.edu
Glass, plastic and tubing 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 ehsbio@uw.edu
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 recycle@uw.edu
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 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu
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
Oil 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 radsaf@uw.edu
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 radsaf@uw.edu
Sharps and needles Includes syringes with and without needles, lancets, scalpel blades, razor blades	EH&S Biological Safety 206.221.7770 ehsbio@uw.edu
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	UW Surplus 206.685.1573 surplus@uw.edu
X-ray film and X-ray plates	EH&S Environmental Programs 206.616.5835 chmwaste@uw.edu