Your exciting gateway to getting rid of your rubbish
Lots of Different Types of Waste
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AQIS Quarantine waste
Animal Carcases
Animal bedding and waste
Asbestos
Biological waste
Broken Glass
Chemical waste
Co-Mingled Waste
Cytotoxic waste
Domestic waste
Empty glass and plastic
chemical bottles
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E waste
General laboratory waste (GLW)
Hazardous Waste
Human Tissue
Paper
Plant Workshop Waste
Polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs)
Radioactive waste
Schedule 8 Drugs
Surgical Waste
Sharps
Waste Groups
General Principals
 No waste down the sink
 Store waste safely
 Do not dilute chemicals for
disposal
 Always label the chemical
waste-name description,
risk assessment number,
key hazards
 Do not mix waste types if
possible
 When in doubt ask
 Waste pathways should be
identified in the risk
assessment before any
waste is generated.
 HS321 UNSW Laboratory
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Procedure
Animals-Animal Facility Manager
Waste type
Description
Pathway
AQIS Quarantine waste
Special contract. Tightly controlled
Specific Bins in the Animal Facility
Animal Carcases
Animal bedding and waste
Deceased animals or animal tissue Bagged and placed in the freezer in
that has been used for research or
corridor Level 4
teaching. This category does not
Do Not put them in the biological
include animals that have been
waste bins
contaminated with any other
hazardous substance
Non infectious
Black bag, wheelie bin out for
council pick up
Infectious
Biohazard autoclaved double
bagged out via cool room yellow
bin
Surgical- Animal Facility Manager
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Surgical Waste
Non infectious materials
Biohazard bag in the yellow cool room bins
Schedule 8 Drugs
those drugs which are listed under Schedule
8 of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling
of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP) which is
incorporated within the Drugs and Poisons
and Controlled Substances (DPCS) Act and are
also known as Drugs of Addiction.
Disposal must be documented
Human Tissue
Recognisable human tissue or body parts.
Ethics approval documentation
Cytotoxic waste
Cytotoxic waste is material that is, or may be, All Cytotoxic Drugs and Related wastes must
contaminated with a cytotoxic drug during the be placed in purple Cytotoxic waste containers
preparation, transport or administration of
and labeled incinerate at 1100ºC’.
chemotherapy. Cytotoxic drugs are toxic
compounds known to have carcinogenic,
mutagenic and/or teratogenic potential.
Lab Waste-Lab Manager
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Biological waste
Material containing or contaminated with
infectious microorganisms, infectious material
sample remains, used Petri dishes, culture
bottles, disposable equipment, used gloves,
non-recognisable human tissue, human blood
or body fluids, infected animal carcasses and
infected bedding, animal blood or body fluids.
– contains paper, gloves, pipette, tips, tubes
or other general laboratory material
contaminated with chemical residues.
Absorbent materials and disinfectants used to
disinfect surfaces are included in general
laboratory waste.
PC2
General laboratory waste (GLW)
Broken Glass
No infectious or radioactive contact
Non-contaminated broken glass. No sharps
Biological waste bags autoclaved, double
bagged and fill out a red tag put in the yellow
bins in the cool room for contractor pick up
Biohazard bag in each lab. When full, tie up
and fill out green waste label and put in
yellow bins in the cool room
White 20 L bins in 429
contaminated see co-mingled waste
Empty glass and plastic chemical bottles
Containers must be rinsed out and allowed to drain
so no hazardous chemical residue remains. Lids off
If this is not possible, it must go out as chemical
waste-leave the lid on
On the waste disposal cabinet outside 429
#NNNN numbers are needed for updating the
chemical database
Hazardous-Lab Manager
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Hazardous Waste
Explosive, flammable liquids/solids, poisonous,
toxic, ecotoxic, infectious substances,
chemicals, clinical wastes; waste oils/water,
hydrocarbons/water mixtures, emulsions;
wastes from the production, formulation and
use of resins, latex, plasticizers,
glues/adhesives; wastes resulting from surface
treatment of metals and plastics copper, zinc,
cadmium, mercury, lead.
Liquids via chemical pathways
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Radioactive waste
At no stage should polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) or other halogenated
compounds be mixed with other waste.
These require special disposal through the
OHS Unit. .
radioactive materials has
a specific activity less than 100 becquerels per
gram (2.7 nCi/gm or 2.7 μCi/Kg)
a total activity less than 40 kBq (~ 1μCi) of
Group1 radionuclides
Solids –waste pick up point cabinet outside
429 then via contractor pick up
Infectious via biological waste pathways.
Case by case assessment
Chemical waste contractor
Held on site until it decays to below
background
Other levels apply depending on the type of
radiation
More Stuff
Waste type
Description
Pathway
E waste
Computers, electrical goods and components
Computer reuse scheme
e-waste recycling –works and services order
Paper
Clean printing paper and cardboard
Plant Workshop Waste
Typical waste includes hydrocarbons such as
oil and grease, detergents, batteries, scrap
metal, timber off cuts, Perspex, fibre glass,
obsolete plant and equipment and building
materials.
Facilities 55111
Blue recycling bins on level 4 and 5. Boxes are
to be folded and placed near the bin
Facilities ext 55111
Liquids via chemical pathways
Batteries good condition only, in the box
outside 429
Non hazardous waste in skips outside
biological sciences. Small pieces in domestic
waste
Equipment via works and services order for
recycling
And More
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Sharps
These can include syringes with needles,
broken glass, scalpel blades and objects or
devices having sharp points, protruding pieces
or cutting edges, capable of cutting or piercing
the skin
Non-contaminated waste, eg paper, boxes,
plastic (non-scientific disposables) that have
not been in contact with chemical, biological,
radiation or other hazardous substances.
Sharps containers are in the lab store When
full –lock up and placed on waste collection
cabinet outside 429
Domestic waste
If it’s not in your house, it’s not in this bin
Asbestos
Ovens, furnaces or other laboratory
equipment which you suspect may pose an
asbestos risk
Domestic waste bins cleaned daily by the
cleaners
No Gloves or specimen containers –even clean
ones
Facilities 55111
Case by case assessment
Bit of Both
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Co-Mingled Waste
Co-mingled waste is a combination of 2 or
more waste categories, such as infectious and
radioactive waste, or infectious and chemical
wastes, contaminated broken glass
Case by case assessment documented in Risk
Assessment
I’m from the University - I’m here to help
Consult an expert
Lab staff
Supervisors
OHS unit
Work out how to get rid of it BEFORE you start
Experts
Waste Category &
Colour Code
Waste Descriptor
OHS & WC
Contact
Ext
Domestic
Paper and plastics
Facilities Bob Wilcox
56642
Broken glass
Broken glass - non contaminated
Martina Lavin
52914
Sharps
Sharps, e.g. scalpel blades, syringe needles
Adam Janssen
52214
Chemical
Chemical
Martina Lavin
52914
Biological
Infectious, Biological, Clinical, GMO, human blood or body fluids,
infectious animal carcases or material
Adam Janssen
52214
Adam Janssen
52214
Cytotoxic
Cytotoxic drugs or materials contaminated with cytotoxic drugs
Animal Carcasses
Animal carcasses
Adam Janssen
52214
Radioactive
Radioactive
Bob Armstrong
52912
Schedule 8 Drugs
Drugs of addiction
Phyllis Heggie
52916
Human Tissue
Recognisable Human Tissues or body party
Adam Janssen
52214
Co-mingled
Mixed waste categories
Martina Lavin
52914
General Laboratory Waste
General laboratory disposable materials eg. including soft waste (PPE) and
tips/tubes contaminated with residues including absorbent materials used
with disinfectants.
Adam Janssen
52214
Chemical
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Chemical waste
All chemicals or materials that are
contaminated with chemicals. This includes
but is not limited to explosive, flammable
liquids/solids, poisonous, toxic
Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Non-Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Aqueous Waste – Acid [dilute solutions less
than 5M*]
Aqueous Waste – Alkali [dilute solutions less
than 5M*]
Aqueous Waste with Heavy Metal Content
Aqueous Waste with non-Heavy Metal Content
*Do not mix any acids or alkalis over 5M
Liquid Waste cubes in 429
Solid wastes are placed on waste collection
cabinet outside 429
Chemicals-Liquid Segregation
 Small quantities of chemicals may be combined for
waste disposal. (<200ml)
 Large qualities of waste should not be mixed but
stored and disposed of as unmixed waste to make
recycling easier. Chemical labeling rules apply to
waste.
 Waste is removed by the UNSW contractor
Chemicals
Chemical type
Description
Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Aromatic hydrocarbons with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, or
astatine attached. Commonly toxic but not flammable
Non-Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Organic compounds consisting of hydrogen and carbon. Commonly
flammable
Aqueous Waste – Acid [dilute solutions less than 5M*]
Ph >7
Aqueous Waste – Alkali [dilute solutions less than 5M*]
Over 5M acids and Alkali must not be mixed
pH <7
Over 5M acids or Alkali solutions must not be mixed with other
chemicals
Individual containers. Concentrated solutions should not be mixed
Aqueous Waste with Heavy Metal Content
Aluminum, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium
as hexavalent Cr(VI), Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Lead, Manganese, Mercury,
Molybdenum, Nickel, Osmium, Selenium, Silver, Tellurium, Thallium,
Tin, Vanadium, Zinc
Aqueous Waste with non-Heavy Metal Content
Neutral pH, no hydrocabons, no heavy metals
Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Common Halogenated Hydrocarbons
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1,2-DIBROMOETHANE
1,2-DICHLOROETHANE
BROMINE
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CHLOROBENZENE
CHLOROFORM
DICHLOROMETHANE
METHYL IODIDE
TETRACHLOROETHANE
TRICHLOROACETIC ACID
TRIFLUOROACETIC ACID
Non-Halogenated Hydrocarbons
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2,4-DINITROPHENYLHYDRAZINE
2-METHOXYETHYL ETHER (DIGLYME)
2-METHYL-2-PROPANOL (tert-BUTYL
ALCOHOL)
2-METHYLPROPAN-2-OL
4-METHYLPENTAN-2-ONE
ACETIC ACID
ACETIC ANHYDRIDE
ACETONE
ACETONITRILE
AMYL ALCOHOL
BENZALDEHYDE
BENZENE
BENZOIC ACID
BENZYL ALCOHOL
BUTAN-1-OL
BUTANONE
BUTYLAMINE
CYCLOHEXANE
CYCLOHEXANOL
CYCLOHEXANONE
CYCLOHEXENE
DIETHYL ETHER
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DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE
DIMETHYLGLYOXIME
DIOXANE
ETHANOL
ETHYL ACETATE
ETHYLENE GLYCOL DIMETHYL ETHER (MONOGLYME)
FORMALDEHYDE
HEXAMETHYLPHOSPHORAMIDE (HMPA)
HEXANE
LIGHT PETROLEUM
METHANOL
METHYL ANILINE
N,N-DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE
n-BUTANOL
PHENOL
PROPAN-1-OL
PROPAN-2-OL
PROPYL ACETATE
PYRIDINE
SODIUM B-NAPHTHOLIDE
TETRAHYDROFURAN
TOLUENE
More information
 This document is a summary of HS321 UNSW
Laboratory Hazardous Waste Disposal Procedure