For items that are not identified specifically as chemical, biological, or radioactive waste, refer to the UVM Recycling Guide for details about how other items (e.g. batteries, light bulbs, and old lab equipment) are collected on campus.

Since the management and disposal of mixed wastes is more complex and costly, please contact safety@uvm.edu before you generate any mixed lab waste such as the combination wastes described below.  

• Chemical and biological waste,
• Chemical and radioactive waste, or
• Biological and radioactive waste.

Mixed waste combinations can only be collected with prior approval. 

"Unknowns" are chemicals that are found in the lab either with an illegible label or no label at all that lab workers no longer know the contents. We cannot guess at what these wastes are. There is a strict and expensive protocol that safety staff are required to follow in order to manage this type of waste. Please inspect your chemicals monthly to eliminate or minimize unknown chemicals in your lab.

Unknown chemicals present serious safety and compliance issues. Federal, state, and local regulations specifically prohibit the transportation, storage, or disposal of wastes of unknown identity. Unknowns can be dangerous for lab personnel and anyone who has to manage the material for disposal after it leaves the lab. Hazardous waste disposal companies will not accept unknowns without analysis.

Never open or handle an unknown in your lab if the container is bloated or you suspect that it may react adversely or even detonate.

If you find an unknown in your lab, please tag it for pickup with as much information as possible. If you have multiple unknowns, each container needs individual tags. The description of the unknown should include the word "Unknown" and a general description (color, liquid or solid, etc). 

NOTE: Unknowns are picked up from campus labs 1x per month to accommodate the time it takes to conduct lengthy testing and to categorize and pack the waste safely for proper disposal.

Prevent Creating Unknowns in Your Lab

Before students graduate and move on, help them properly label and dispose of their samples before they leave UVM. If a lab is closing or a PI is retiring or leaving UVM, contact EHS 2-3 weeks beforehand to meet in the lab and review all leftover materials.

• LABEL all chemical solutions when they are created! This including beakers, samples, test tubes, and flasks, even if they are created for temporary use.
• INSPECT all chemical containers and their labels as you conduct the required monthly lab self-inspection. Immediately replace labels that have fallen off, faded, or become damaged.
• ENSURE container labels have full chemical names. Never use abbreviations, chemical structures, or formulas. Include the user's initials and a date on the container for easier identification later.
• SUBMIT lab waste tags frequently. Dispose of spent materials and chemicals with no foreseeable use promptly.
• PURGE archived samples annually. Bins containing multiple and identical vials must be clearly labeled on the outside of the secondary bin with the user's name, chemical constituents, and the date.

Batteries are generally collected throughout campus in brown battery buckets. If you have a bag of batteries in your lab, this can be tagged as waste for pickup. Please estimate the amount in pounds.

NOTE: Large lead acid batteries, or any battery that is swollen and/or leaking, should be tagged immediately for disposal.

Biologically contaminated sharps also contaminated with the residues of hazardous chemicals can be managed in the same red, puncture-proof container as all other sharps in the lab. There is NO need to manage these as a separate waste stream. Please do not label the container with a lab waste accumulation sticker.  Seal, lock, and place full sharps box inside of a biohazard box when full.

If you do not have a biobox, sharps, and their containers, can be handled like other chemical wastes. Use an accumulation label to identify the residues (e.g. solvents, etc.) that contaminate the sharps. Once full, tag for waste pickup.

Empty containers of highly hazardous or reactive chemicals (PDF) are required to be securely closed and tagged for waste disposal. Never re-use these types of containers to collect waste.

Debris that is contaminated with hazardous chemicals should be collected in a cardboard box lined with a clear plastic bag and tagged as chemical waste for disposal. Never use a red biohazard bag to collect chemically contaminated glassware or debris.

Glassware contaminated with infectious material should be placed in a puncture-proof container and then placed in a biohazard box. For information about biological waste please follow this link to the biowaste management.

Glassware contaminated with radioactive contaminants should be decontaminated and radiation safety staff should be notified. For information pertaining to radioactive waste management refer to our Radiation Safety Office (RSO) website.

Burned out fluorescent lights, compact light bulbs, UV light bulbs, etc. are considered Universal Waste in the state of Vermont and should be removed from the fixture and carefully placed back inside of the cardboard box that they came in to prevent breakage. Email safety@uvm.edu, call 802-656-5408, or submit a waste tag for intact light bulb pickup.

Broken light bulbs are considered hazardous waste and should be collected in a clear bag that can be sealed inside of a cardboard box. Fill out a lab waste tag and enter tag online for pickup.

Old lab equipment needs to be checked by UVM ITS to have hazardous components removed prior to safe disposal as scrap metal or electronic waste. Labs are required to use the Surplus Disposal Form for any equipment to be disposed appropriately.

Disposal of Surplus Lab Equipment Page

Used oil, and oil-contaminated rags/debris, is regulated in Vermont. This means the oil and debris must be collected, labeled, and disposed as hazardous waste. Here are a couple examples:

• Vacuum pump and silicon oils;
• Vehicle crankcase oils, transmission fluids, and power steering fluids;
• Hydraulic, compressor, and straight cutting oils;
• Tramp oil and oil drained from evaporators.

Chemical spills of one liter or less can be cleaned up by lab personnel using the chemical spill kit that is provided by EHS to every lab on campus. 

Debris, such as contaminated gloves, spill pads, bench paper, glassware, etc. should be collected in a CLEAR plastic bag and tagged immediately with a laboratory waste tag. Safety staff are always available to consult with lab personnel about a spill or to assist or perform the spill cleanup. 

Page Safety staff by calling UVM Service Operations at 802-656-2560, press 1 to speak to dispatcher.

For any lab group that is looking to dispose of a large number of research samples with similar hazards, completing a Research Sample Disposal Form may be the simplest way to complete this task. Complete one form for each set of samples that have different hazards, characteristics, and states.

• Research Sample Disposal Form (PDF)

Fill out the form completely before tagging the form under one waste tag. Make sure all of the information is accurate and that you have included a good contact person to answer any questions that may arise during or after pick up. For the "yes" or "no" questions, make sure to explain the reasoning behind any "yes" answers.

For instance: "Is the material an oxidizer risk?" If "yes," explain the cause for the potential oxidation. Writing as much information as possible will make it easier to dispose of the materials appropriately.

Solvents used to rinse clean glassware (acetone, ethanol, Nochromix, etc.) are required to be collected as hazardous waste and disposed of through UVM's waste disposal procedures. These materials are regulated and cannot go down the drain.

5-gallons of any chemical waste must be collected in a DOT-approved container. UVM Chemsource sells DOT-approved containers for liquid waste or solid (debris) waste (with an open top lid) for this reason.  Please order the first 5 gal container from Chemsource and then we will replace it each time we pick up your waste (at no charge).

Never tag multiple 5-gallon containers on one lab waste tag.

Smaller waste containers:  If you have identical chemical waste solutions in several containers smaller than 5-gallons, you may complete one lab waste tag for the group. In the "Amount" section of the waste tag, enter the TOTAL amount of liquid inside all of the containers, and don't forget to include the number of containers.