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Procedure for the Recycling
Material and Disposal of Waste from Laboratories
Document Control Document Created by
v1.0 Shane McAteer 26/01/2011
Updates
V3.5 Paul Monk 29/10/2013
V4.1 Gary Stratmann 08/01/16
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Introduction
This document outlines the procedures for segregation, collection and disposal of waste from laboratories.
It is a legal requirement to segregate non-hazardous from hazardous wastes.
Incorrectly disposing of hazardous waste via a non-hazardous waste stream or non-hazardous waste via a hazardous waste stream could both lead to legal and financial penalties dependent upon the severity of the non- compliance.
Underpinning this document are UCL’s commitments to three core values: the prevention of pollution, compliance with legislative requirements and continual improvement.
All future risk assessments and revisions to existing risk assessments must include consideration of storage, handling, movement and disposal of wastes under the following conditions:
• Normal operation (ie routine laboratory activities)
• Abnormal operation (ie laboratory clearance)
• Emergency circumstances (ie spillage)
This procedure seeks to provide a comprehensive guide as to how to dispose of laboratory wastes at UCL. If Service Users are unclear about any item of waste or aspect of this procedure they should contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance- service-requests/) or by emailing efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange an assessment by the UCL Waste Manager.
The list of parties involved with the Disposal of Laboratory Wastes referred to in this document.
All waste producers have a legal responsibility to ensure that waste is produced, stored, transported and disposed of without harming the environment. This is your “duty of care”.
UCL Facilities and WorkplaceServices, a department with in UCL Estates Division, supplies a wide range of business support services such as
cleaning, domestic and special waste management, security, mail services and telephony services.
Waste managers working from within UCL Facilities and Workplace Services have the responsibility to advise waste producers and manage waste
contractors and suppliers in delivering required service standards.
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Contractors and suppliers are employed to deliver safe and compliant;
collection, transport and disposal of wastes produced by UCL as requested by Facilities and Workplace Services waste managers.
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Contents
Classification of Laboratory Wastes Hazardous Laboratory Wastes
Chemical Wastes Clinical Wastes
Radioactive Wastes
Laboratory Wastes of Unknown Hazard Non-Hazardous Laboratory Wastes
Laboratory Recyclables Glass from Laboratories Non-Recyclable Wastes
Disposal of Miscellaneous Items Polystyrene Boxes
Coolant Packages/Dry Ice Large Packaging
Batteries and Toner Cartridges Laboratory Equipment
Gas Cylinders Waste Reporting Training
Satellite Estate
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Classification of Laboratory Wastes
Laboratory wastes are classified as hazardous or non-hazardous and each has different procedures for disposal.
Hazardous Laboratory Wastes
Hazardous wastes are listed below and must be disposed of in accordance with the relevant procedures:
• Chemical Wastes see Chemical Wastes Procedure
• Clinical Wastes see Clinical Waste Procedure
• Radioactive Wastes see Radioactive Waste Procedure
• Laboratory Wastes of Unknown Hazard. If it is not clear whether an item of waste is hazardous or not it must be segregated from other wastes by the Service User and labelled as being hazardous whilst investigation is carried out to establish the proper disposal route. This is done by contacting the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service- requests/) or by emailing efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for an assessment of the item. The UCL Waste Manager will contact the Service User and arrange for an assessment to be undertaken. It may be that an assessment by email correspondence or by telephone may be adequate, however if the waste requires specialist disposal it may be necessary for the UCL Waste Manager to arrange for a visit by competent contractors.
Non-Hazardous Laboratory Wastes Laboratory Recyclables
1. The majority of non-hazardous materials discarded from UCL’s laboratory activities are recyclable (as mixed dry recyclables). These materials include (but are not limited to):
• Packaging for lab consumables
• Paper
• Hand towels
• Pipette tip boxes
• Cardboard
• Other dry non-hazardous laboratory wastes
2. The locations of the bins will be agreed between the Service Users and the UCL Waste Manager as will the Laboratory Waste Collection
Point(s) where the full bags will be left.
3. Clear bag bin liners are supplied via the soft services contract. It is the responsibility of Service Users to fit the liners to the bins.
4. When the Laboratory Recycling bins become full, it is the responsibility of the Service Users to:
• remove the clear bag bin liners
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• tie the bin liners so that the bags are sealed and the waste cannot fall out
• place the sealed bags in the Laboratory Waste Collection Point.
In some cases this may be in the laboratory itself but in the majority of cases this point will be in the corridor.
5. The O&G staff will remove this waste from the Laboratory Waste Collection Point throughout the day and place it in the building’s Designated Waste Collection Point.
6. The waste is now treated in accordance with the protocol Office Recyclables (section 3) in the UCL Material Recycling and Waste Disposal Procedure.
Glass from Laboratories
1. Glass may arise from laboratories from a number of sources:
• Laboratory glassware (eg Pyrex)
• Chemical/solvent bottles (eg Eurobottles, Winchesters)
2. Any glassware that is contaminated with hazardous materials, and which cannot reasonably be decontaminated, must be disposed of as Hazardous Laboratory Wastes.
3. Disposal of laboratory glassware:
a. If laboratory glassware has been broken into small pieces (so as to constitute a sharps hazard) it should be disposed of by
Service Users in a laboratory sharps bin.
b. Larger items of laboratory glassware (which don’t constitute a sharps hazard) should have any metal, rubber or plastic fittings removed before being put carefully into one of the green glass recycling bins located around the UCL estate.
c. Glass bottles (including chemical and solvent bottles) may be returned to the supplier for reuse or recycling if the supplier offers this service. If this is the case then the Service User must follow the instructions provided for this service by the supplier.
d. Otherwise the glass bottles must be recycled or disposed of in accordance with the flow chart below.
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Solvent miscible with water
Drain and residues in waste solvent container
Fill container with water.
Water flushed down sink
Invert and drain container to dryness
Is the solvent volatile
Leave open in a ventilated area eg fumehood.
Dry container by blowing air into it in a fumehood
Remove any labels or hazard warnings
Glass: glass recycling bins
Metal or Plastic: Laboratory Recycling bins
Dispose of clean cap to
Laboratory Recycling bin
Yes No
Yes ws
No
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Non-Recyclable Wastes
1. Given that eating and drinking are prohibited in laboratories, nearly all non-hazardous laboratory wastes will be recyclable.
2. The non-hazardous laboratory wastes which are not recyclable will be dry and so not spoil the mixed dry recyclables.
3. For these reasons, non-recyclable non-hazardous laboratory wastes should be disposed of in the Laboratory Recycling bins.
4. The Materials Recovery Facility will handle small quantities of non- recyclable non-hazardous laboratory wastes appropriately.
Disposal of Miscellaneous Items Polystyrene Boxes
1. Polystyrene boxes must be free from hazard prior to disposal.
2. Any dry ice or coolant bags must be removed and disposed of in accordance with the section Coolant Packages/Dry Ice below.
3. Small polystyrene boxes can be placed in a bin bag and left for collection by O&G staff.
4. Large polystyrene boxes must taken to the Laboratory Waste Collection Point.
5. The waste sub-contractor will handle polystyrene boxes appropriately.
Coolant Packages/Dry Ice
1. Coolant Packages (gel bags)
a. Must be free from hazard prior to disposal.
b. Must be at (or near to) ambient temperature prior to disposal in order not to cause cold burns.
c. Service Users dispose of coolant packages/gel bags as Hazardous Laboratory waste if the instructions on the
packages/bags state this to be the appropriate disposal method.
d. If the instructions on the coolant packages/gel bags do not state that they are hazardous for disposal, they should be put into a Laboratory Residual waste bin.
e. The Materials Recovery Facility will handle non-hazardous coolant packages/gel bags appropriately.
2. Dry Ice
a. Must be handled with care in order not to cause cold burns.
b. Must be placed in an appropriate container at ambient
temperature in a fume cupboard or other safe area where it will sublime.
Large Packaging
1. Large packaging must be clean and free from hazard prior to disposal.
2. Once free from hazard, all hazard warning symbols must be obliterated.
3. All inner packaging should be removed and either a. Be placed in a Laboratory Recycling bin, or
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b. Be put into a clear bag and taken to a Laboratory Waste Collection Point.
4. Outer packaging should be folded and taped closed so as to reduce the volume of material to be handled, and then taken to a Laboratory Waste Collection Point.
Batteries and Toner Cartridges
1. Batteries and Toner Cartridges should be recycled in accordance with the relevant protocol in the UCL Material Recycling and Waste
Disposal Procedure:
• Batteries
• Toner Cartridges
Laboratory Equipment
1. Unwanted laboratory equipment must be free from chemical, biological or radiochemical hazard prior to reuse, recycling or disposal.
2. Some laboratory equipment contain components which are not obvious, or are so hazardous, to non-laboratory staff as to require specialist disposal – eg liquid scintillation counters which may contain radioactive sources, microtomes which may contain very sharp knives.
Service Users requiring the disposal of such equipment must first contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-requests/) or by emailing efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for an assessment of the item. The UCL Waste Manager will contact the Service User and arrange for an assessment to be undertaken. It may be that an assessment by email correspondence or by telephone may be adequate, however if the waste requires specialist disposal it may be necessary for the UCL Waste Manager to arrange for a visit by competent contractors.
3. If the unwanted laboratory equipment is in good working order, then it should be disposed of in accordance with the protocol Reusable Items in the UCL Material Recycling and Disposal Procedure.
4. If the unwanted laboratory equipment is not in good working order, then it should be disposed of according to the relevant protocol in the UCL Material Recycling and Waste Disposal Procedure:
• Hazardous WEEE
• Non-Hazardous WEEE
• Bulky Items
Gas Cylinders
1. Unwanted gas cylinders should be returned to the supplier that they were obtained from by the department. This is important as often suppliers will charge rental on the cylinders and once they leave the department they become more difficult to track down and return.
2. Should the department be unable to return the cylinder to the supplier then they should contact the Customer Service Centre (by raising a Service Request at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/maintenance-service-
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requests/) or by emailing efdservices@ucl.ac.uk to arrange for a collection.
3. The cylinder will then be collected by the on-site BOC team or Mitie and stored in one of the gas cylinder cage stores around site.
4. The UCL Waste Manager will then arrange for the cylinders to be removed by a competent contractor sub-contracted to MITIE Waste.
5. The contractor will then arrange for the cylinders to be repatriated to their correct suppliers or emptied of all gas and then recycled as scrap metal.
Waste Reporting
The types of waste disposed of, quantity of each waste stream and the method by which it is disposed is reported on a monthly basis by the relevant contractor.
Training
All Facilities staff & Contractors handling laboratory materials are trained to perform all their waste related duties by O&G, MITIE or BOC as appropriate to the waste they collect. Records of training are available via these contractors.
UCL Departmental users can find information regarding all waste disposal on UCL’s waste website. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/estates/waste/
Satellite Estate
For areas of the college that are remote from the core campus, there may be some local arrangements in place for the collection and storage of waste.
