Waste Management
If content is water soluble:
- rinse empty bottle and allow to dry
- deface label
- place uncapped bottle in hall for custodial pick-up
- leave empty bottle in fumehood until any liquid residue evaporates
- deface label
- place uncapped bottle in hall for custodial pick-up
McMaster's Hazardous Waste Management Program is outlined in RMM 502.
The LSH defines hazardous chemical waste as:
- explosive
- flammable/combustible
- reactive
- oxidizing
- toxic
- corrosive (ph < 5.5 or > 9.5)
- compressed gas
In accordance with LSH guidelines, to dispose of hazardous chemical waste:
- procure an appropriate waste container
- do not fill the waste container above 3/4 of its volume
- do not mix incompatible chemicals (click here for a partial list of compatible and incompatible chemicals)
- keep halogenated (fluorine-, chlorine-, bromine-, or iodine-containging chemicals) separate from non-halogenated chemicals
- apply a "waste label" to the container, and ensure that the label is properly completed and signed
Waste containers are marked with a yellow waste label, which is filled out to identify the materials contained within and the researcher responsible for the container.
When containers are ready for disposal, a list is submitted to EOHSS by the end of each Friday.
The following Tuesday the waste containers are picked up by a professional waste management company.
There is no need for researchers to transport their waste outside of their laboratory.
McMaster's Laboratory Safety Handbook (LSH) thoroughly outlines waste disposal guidelines that are in accordance with federal, provincial, and regional regulations.