Biological Waste Disposal Guidelines
Type of Waste
Treatment
Disposal Method
Agar Plates (used)
Agar Plates (unused)
Animal Blood / Body Fluids (potentially infectious)
Animal Blood / Body Fluids (non-infectious)
Animal Carcass / Tissue
Autoclave
none
Autoclave or Bleach
none
Incinerate (DLAR)
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
Sanitary Sewer (drain)
Sanitary Sewer (drain)
Incineration
Band Aids
Blades
Blood – human
Blood Culture Bottles (used)
Blood Test Strips
Body Fluids – human (except urine)
none
none
Bleach
Autoclave or Bleach
none
Autoclave or Bleach
Regular Trash
SHARPS Container
Sanitary Sewer (drain)
Biohazard (red) Bins
Regular Trash
Sanitary Sewer (drain)
Capillary Tubes (used)
Culturette Swabs (used)
Glass Tubes containing blood / body fluids
Glass Tubes (empty-unused)
Gloves (visibly soiled w/ blood)
Gloves (unsoiled)
Autoclave or Bleach
Autoclave or Bleach
Autoclave or Bleach
none
Autoclave
none
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
Glass Waste Box
Biohazard (red) Bins
Regular Trash
Lancets
Liquid – blood / body fluids
Loops (inoculating)
Lyophilized Specimens
Media (spent liquid)
Media (spent solid)
none
Bleach
Autoclave or Bleach
Autoclave or Bleach
Autoclave or Bleach
Autoclave
SHARPS Container
Sanitary Sewer (drain)
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
Sanitary Sewer (drain)
Biohazard (red) Bins
Micro-titre Plates (contaminated / used)
Needles
Paper / Towels / Mats soiled with blood / body fluids
Paper / Towels / Mats (unsoiled)
Pathological Waste
Pasteur Pipettes (used)
Autoclave or Bleach
none
Autoclave
none
Autoclave or Bleach
Autoclave or Bleach
Biohazard (red) Bins
SHARPS Container
Biohazard (red) Bins
Regular Trash
DLAR / Morgue
Glass Waste Box or SHARPS Containers
Personal Protective Equipment (contaminated)
Personal Protective Equipment (uncontaminated)
Pipettes – Plastic or Glass (used)
Pipettes – Plastic or Glass (unused)
Pipette Tips (used)
Autoclave
none
Bleach or Autoclave
none
Autoclave or Bleach
Biohazard (red) Bins
Regular Trash
Glass Waste Box or Biohazard (red) Bins
Glass Waste Box
Regular Trash or Biohazard (red) Bins
Pipette Tips (unused)
Razor Blades
none
none
Regular Trash
SHARPS Container
Slides (fixed – used or unused)
Slides (unfixed used or unused)
Specimen Bags grossly soiled
Specimen Containers with blood / body fluids
Syringe containing blood / body fluids with or without needle
Syringe without needle (not containing blood / body fluids)
none
none
Autoclave
Autoclave or Bleach (depending on volume)
None
None
Glass Waste Box
SHARPS Container
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
SHARPS Container
Biohazard (red) Bins
Test Tubes containing blood / body fluids
Tissue / Specimens (unfixed)
Tissue / Specimens (fixed)
Towel / paper / etc. soiled with blood / body fluids
Tubes (used / contaminated) culture, vacutainer, microfuge
Tubes (unused / uncontaminated) culture, vacutainer, microfuge
Autoclave or Bleach
Autoclave or Bleach
none
Autoclave
Autoclave
none
Biohazard (red) Bins or Sanitary Sewer
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
Biohazard (red) Bins
Urine Samples
Urine Transfer Pipettes / Specimen Containers / Test Strips
none
none
Sanitary Sewer (drain)
Regular Trash

Contaminated: Materials contaminated with human or animal blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials, including materials that contain bacteria,
viruses, parasites, or fungi that can be transmitted to humans or animals. NOTE: Even if a material is known to be non-hazardous (i.e., blood from uninfected
animals) it is impossible to distinguish from human blood or other infectious materials and has the appearance of being potentially infectious.

Uncontaminated: Materials that are not contaminated with a potentially infectious substance, or materials that have been properly decontaminated by autoclave,
bleach, or some other acceptable sterilization / decontamination method.

Blood & Body Fluids: Any liquid blood or body fluids from humans or animals, excluding urine.

Blood & Body Fluids Contaminated with Chemicals or Radioactive Materials: These must not go down the drain. Contact OEH&S for collection / disposal.

Sanitary Sewer (drain) Disposal: Blood, body fluids, spent liquid media, and other potentially infectious liquids should be treated for 30 minutes with bleach
before disposal down the drain.

Red Biohazard Bins: Potentially infectious materials should be autoclaved, bleached, or treated in a manner which renders them non-hazardous before they are
put into the red bins. Do not autoclave materials that have already been treated with bleach. BIOHAZARD BINS SHOULD NOT BE AUTOCLAVED.

Broken Glass Boxes: All contaminated materials put into broken glass boxes should be autoclaved, decontaminated with bleach, or treated in another way
which renders them non-hazardous. SHARPS should never be put into broken glass boxes, whether or not they are contaminated.

Autoclave Treatment: Lab must buy autoclave bags. SHARPS containers, biohazard bins & liner bags are not autoclavable. Do not autoclave bleached items.

SHARPS Disposal: Needles, razor blades, microtome blades, lancets, scalpels, etc. must ALWAYS be disposed of in a SHARPS container. Needles should
never be recapped, sheared, bent or broken. The needle and syringe should be put into the SHARPS container as a whole unit, uncapped. SHARPS
CONTAINERS SHOULD NEVER BE AUTOCLAVED.
WSU Office of Environmental Health & Safety, 577-1200, www.oehs.wayne.edu
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