How to Dispose of Chemical Waste

Chemical waste is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). It cannot be disposed of in regular trash or in the sewer system. Most chemical wastes must be disposed of through the EHS Hazardous Waste Program.

Please view this video for a demonstration of what tags and forms are required for chemical waste disposal and how to fill them out.

1. Store chemical wastes in appropriate containers; plastic bottles are preferred over glass for storing hazardous waste when compatibility is not an issue. Segregate chemical waste by compatibility, and not alphabetically. For more information on chemical compatibility, visit our chemical compatibility page.
2. Obtain EHS hazardous waste tags and Hazardous Waste and Unwanted Chemical forms from the EHS office, 2220 Circle Dr, Service Building, 1st Floor.
3. Chemical waste containers must be labeled using the EHS hazardous waste tag with the following information:
   • Full common chemical name and quantity of the waste. For mixtures, each chemical must be listed. Abbreviations, acronyms and ditto marks ("") to replace words are not allowed, as this does not comply with The Hazard Communication Standard;
   • Date of waste generation.
   • Place of origin (department, room number).
   • Principle Investigator's name and telephone number.
   • Bottle number assigned on corresponding waste sheet.
   • The tag or label must have the words: "Hazardous Waste".
   • And check mark the appropriate hazard pictograms.
4. A completed Hazardous Waste Information Form must be submitted to the EHS office (Instructions are on the back of the form). On this form, please include:
   • Full common chemical name and quantity of the waste. For mixtures, each chemical and its volume or weight in liters or kilograms only must be listed. Abbreviations, acronyms, chemical formulas and ditto marks ("") to replace common chemical names are not allowed.
   • Date of waste generation.
   • Place of origin (department, room number).
   • Principle Investigator's name and telephone number.
   • A contact name is required to answer any questions or open the door.
   • Bottle number (in numerical order) assigned on bottle.
   • And a speedtype or account number.
     • NOTE: The CWRU Hazardous Waste Program is responsible for managing the disposal of all hazardous materials generated by active research programs on campus. If chemical or other hazardous materials require disposal but do not fall under this category, the associated costs will be charged back to the relevant department or school. It is essential to determine this designation before disposal and provide an account number for billing purposes.

       Rest assured, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) will not charge your account without prior approval. The university fully covers the disposal costs for waste generated by research activities.

       Please note that if the identity of research-generated waste is unknown and efforts were not made to identify the material at the time of its generation, the disposal costs will be charged back to the laboratory. If you are genuinely unsure of the material's identity, we are committed to working with you to identify it. However, if the oversight is due to a failure to document the material, charges will apply.

       For larger projects, such as lab renovations or cleanouts following an investigator's departure, EHS will assist in consolidating materials into larger containers. This approach can reduce disposal costs by 20-60% by minimizing raw disposal expenses without additional processing.

5. Send the completed form to the Environmental Health and Safety Office, 2220 Circle Dr, Service Building, 1st floor. The form must be received by EHS by Wednesday at noon. Chemical waste removal will then happen on Thursday of that week. Each container must be listed separately, each individually tagged and sealed. Leaking or open containers will not be removed.
6. The disposal of chemicals by sanitary sewer is only possible with written permission from EHS. Contact the Director or Chemical Waste Manager for more information.
   • Submit a complete list of all chemicals to be disposed of to EHS.
   • EHS will review and provide written approval on a case by case basis.
   • Any change in formulation (volume of chemical, new chemical), will require a fresh review by EHS.
   • Disposal of any chemical into the solid waste disposal system (i.e. into regular trash) is not allowed.