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.

  1. Check the list of accepted items before submitting a request for pickup.
  2. All potentially-contaminated items must have a Notice of Cleaning and Decontamination Form attached.
  3. 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.

  1. On-site chemical treatment procedures must be approved by EH&S; you must have documented training and maintain an updated Chemical Treatment Log.
  2. On-site sterilization of biohazardous waste using an autoclave must follow the requirements listed on the Biohazardous Waste webpage.

4. RECYCLE IT.

  1. Use the Chemical Exchange feature in MyChem to recycle unused chemicals.
  2. Empty gas cylinders can be recycled, depending on the original contents.
  3. 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