Trash disposal guidelines - contaminated items

Empty containers What is "Empty"? Gloves and equipment "Gross contamination" Sharps and lab glass

Empty chemical containers

"Empty" chemical containers may still contain enough chemicals in them to present a hazard to custodial staff. Below are guidelines to dispose of these containers properly.

1. Consider reusing the empty container for hazardous waste disposal of that same chemical or other compatible chemicals. If you choose this option, complete deface or remove the label on the container and then fill out and affix a hazardous waste label to the container. Defacing and labeling are required by law and also help others in your workplace know that the container contains hazardous waste, not the original chemical.
2. If you choose to dispose of the container, there are two sets of instructions depending on how hazardous the chemical is. If the chemical is an "acutely hazardous waste", "toxic extremely hazardous waste", and/or a pesticide marked with danger or warning labels, use Option A. For all other (less toxic) chemicals, use Option B.

Option A (for acutely hazardous waste, toxic extremely hazardous waste, and/or pesticides)

1. Triple rinse the container, collecting the rinse water into a sturdy, compatible screwtop container. Keep rinse water to a minimum.
2. Dispose of the rinse water as hazardous waste, estimating the percentages of chemical and water.
3. Dry the container, preferably in a fume hood.

Option B (for all other chemicals)

1. Dry the container, preferably in a fume hood if the chemical is hazardous.

For both Options:

1. With a pen, cross out or black out the labels on the container.
2. Leave the container uncapped. Throw the cap away separately.
3. If the container fits in the trashcan, place it there. If it does not fit in the trashcan, place it next to the trash.
4. Do not leave empty containers in public spots, such as hallways or loading docks, unless you have made an agreement with Custodial Services or EH&S for pickup services.

Following the steps above will help custodial staff know that the container is safe to handle. They are trained to not pick up trash that contains wet or capped chemical containers or containers with labels that have not been crossed out.

Notes about container disposal

• Ensure that your container fits the definition of "empty". Under no circumstances are you allowed to "dispose" of hazardous waste by leaving non-empty containers of chemicals in the fume hood or elsewhere to evaporate the chemical.
• If your chemical is a known, probable, or suspected carcinogen, EH&S strongly recommends that you use Option A for that chemical container.
• Ensure that there are no sources of heat or open flame in the fume hood when drying containers that contained flammable or combustible chemicals.
• Do not rinse the container (as recommended in Option A) if your chemical is water reactive. Instead, dispose of the container as hazardous waste.
• Under no circumstances should you recycle glass or plastic containers that once contained chemicals. Recycled glass and plastic is used to make beverage and food containers, so currently the recycling industry does not want glass that once contained chemicals. However, EH&S does recycle large plastic and metal drums. For large containers (30 gallons or more), see our drum recycling program webpage.

What is "empty"?

It can be difficult to remove all of the chemical from a container. The legal interpretation of the word "empty" is such that both of the following are true:

1. Contents have been removed by "normal, no-nonsense means, such as inverting and draining, shaking, scraping, or scooping", and
2. Small containers (less than 110 gallons) are empty when no more than 3% of the contents remain.
3. If the chemical is "acutely hazardous waste", "toxic extremely hazardous waste", and/or a pesticide marked with danger or warning labels, then the container must be triple rinsed in addition before it is considered legally (and safely) "empty".

Gloves and other items

Used gloves and other commonly used items (besides empty containers) can be placed in the trash if they are not grossly contaminated with hazardous chemicals.

"Grossly contaminated" items

Examples of "grossly contaminated" items include used spill clean-up materials, items such as gloves and equipment contaminated from a spill, and used equipment that contains hazardous chemical residue. If you have an item that fit this catagory, dispose of it as hazardous chemical waste. For assistance with filling out the chemical constituents and percentages of your item, either email chmwaste@u.washington.edu or call 206.616.5835.

Sharps and laboratory glass

Sharps and laboratory glass must be disposed of in either an approved sharps container or in a laboratory glass box. Please try to ensure that your laboratory glass, including plastic pipette tips, are minimally contaminated with chemicals. If your laboratory glass is "grossly" contaminated with chemicals, either rinse it off and collect the rinse water as hazardous chemical waste, or, if that is not feasible, then dispose of it as hazardous chemical waste.