All employees and students are responsible for contributing to the correct handling of waste.
No waste from laboratory work must be disposed of down the sink.
For general waste management, see the Estate Department’s waste-sorting guide.
Waste management must be risk assessed
Waste management following laboratory work must be addressed in the risk assessment for each individual SOP.
Hazardous-waste containers (large yellow plastic containers)
The following may be disposed of in hazardous-waste containers:
- Small yellow sharps containers for needle tips and other sharp objects, such as scalpel blades.
- Pipette tips, microtubes, small quantities of chemical residues, electrophoresis gels, and other waste that has been in contact with material in a hazardous-risk category.
- Waste from work involving biological agents, including genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs), cultures, agar plates and media; cell cultures, bacteria, fungi and viruses. Where appropriate, such waste may be chemically inactivated or autoclaved before disposal in a hazardous-waste container. This also includes all disposable equipment, such as pipette tips and microtubes, that has been in contact with biological agents.
- Potentially infectious waste, such as blood, serum and urine.
- Empty chemical bottles and containers.
Hazardous-waste containers are collected by the waste contractor and incinerated at Klemetsrud.
Needles
Needles/syringe tips must not be recapped, due to the risk of needlestick injuries.
Needles must be disposed of in dedicated small yellow sharps containers. These must then be placed in a hazardous-waste container.
Laboratory glass and empty chemical containers
Laboratory glass has a higher melting point than ordinary glass and must therefore be disposed of in yellow hazardous-waste containers.
The same applies to empty chemical bottles and containers made of glass.
Disposal of hazardous-waste containers
All full and sealed hazardous-waste containers must be placed in the hazardous-waste cage in the building to which the laboratory belongs.
Contact your HSE coordinator for instructions and training.