Disposal Guidance for Common Wastes
Acid Solutions -- It is acceptable for lab personnel to neutralize certain acid wastes if the waste does not contain other hazards (e.g. organics or metals). Some acids may not be neutralized and must be brought to hazardous waste collection for disposal.Care must be taken to avoid mixing incompatible acids. Note the following
incompatibilities and do not mix incompatible acids together:
Metal Solutions -- Similar to mercury, do not mix metal solutions and metal salt
solutions with other types of wastes, as the resulting waste is very expensive for
disposal (because of the extra controls during the treatment process).
Sharps -- Chemically contaminated sharps should be collected in a puncture proof container that cannot be red and cannot have a biohazard symbol (the hazardous waste contractor cannot legally accept biohazard waste). Containers should be closed and not overfilled. Label the container with a hazardous waste label that lists the chemical(s) that the sharps are contaminated with (for example “sharps contaminated with hygromycin B”).
Unknown Materials -- Occasionally materials with degraded or missing labels, or inherited containers without a label, are discovered. Contact the local safety office as
soon as possible for a consultation. If there is enough information to identify and classify the material, it avoids the unnecessary risk, testing, and the expense of disposing of the material as an unknown chemical.