1. Waste Pathways at GSBME
Your exciting gateway to getting rid of your rubbish

2. Lots of Different Types of Waste
AQIS Quarantine waste
Animal Carcases
Animal bedding and waste
Asbestos
Biological waste
Broken Glass
Chemical waste
Co-Mingled Waste
Cytotoxic waste
Domestic waste
Empty glass and plastic chemical bottles
E waste
General laboratory waste (GLW)
Hazardous Waste
Human Tissue
Paper
Plant Workshop Waste
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Radioactive waste
Schedule 8 Drugs
Surgical Waste
Sharps

3. Waste Groups

4. General Principals No waste down the sink
Store waste safely
Do not dilute chemicals for disposal
Always label the chemical waste-name description, risk assessment number, key hazards
Do not mix waste types if possible
When in doubt ask
Waste pathways should be identified in the risk assessment before any waste is generated.
HS321 UNSW Laboratory Hazardous Waste Disposal Procedure

5. Animals-Animal Facility Manager
Waste type
Description
Pathway
AQIS Quarantine waste
Special contract. Tightly controlled
Specific Bins in the Animal Facility
Animal Carcases
Deceased animals or animal tissue that has been used for research or teaching. This category does not include animals that have been contaminated with any other hazardous substance
Bagged and placed in the freezer in corridor Level 4
Do Not put them in the biological waste bins
Animal bedding and waste
Non infectious
Infectious
Black bag, wheelie bin out for council pick up
Biohazard autoclaved double bagged out via cool room yellow bin

6. Surgical- Animal Facility Manager
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Surgical Waste
Non infectious materials
Biohazard bag in the yellow cool room bins
Schedule 8 Drugs
those drugs which are listed under Schedule 8 of the Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP) which is incorporated within the Drugs and Poisons and Controlled Substances (DPCS) Act and are also known as Drugs of Addiction.
Disposal must be documented
Human Tissue
Recognisable human tissue or body parts.
Ethics approval documentation
Cytotoxic waste
Cytotoxic waste is material that is, or may be, contaminated with a cytotoxic drug during the preparation, transport or administration of chemotherapy. Cytotoxic drugs are toxic compounds known to have carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or teratogenic potential.
All Cytotoxic Drugs and Related wastes must be placed in purple Cytotoxic waste containers and labeled incinerate at 1100ºC’.

7. Lab Waste-Lab Manager Waste type Description Pathway Biological waste
Material containing or contaminated with infectious microorganisms, infectious material sample remains, used Petri dishes, culture bottles, disposable equipment, used gloves, non-recognisable human tissue, human blood or body fluids, infected animal carcasses and infected bedding, animal blood or body fluids.
PC2
Biological waste bags autoclaved, double bagged and fill out a red tag put in the yellow bins in the cool room for contractor pick up
General laboratory waste (GLW)
– contains paper, gloves, pipette, tips, tubes or other general laboratory material contaminated with chemical residues. Absorbent materials and disinfectants used to disinfect surfaces are included in general laboratory waste.
No infectious or radioactive contact
Biohazard bag in each lab. When full, tie up and fill out green waste label and put in yellow bins in the cool room
Broken Glass
Non-contaminated broken glass. No sharps
contaminated see co-mingled waste
White 20 L bins in 429
Empty glass and plastic chemical bottles
Containers must be rinsed out and allowed to drain so no hazardous chemical residue remains. Lids off
If this is not possible, it must go out as chemical waste-leave the lid on
On the waste disposal cabinet outside 429
#NNNN numbers are needed for updating the chemical database

8. Hazardous-Lab Manager
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Hazardous Waste
Explosive, flammable liquids/solids, poisonous, toxic, ecotoxic, infectious substances, chemicals, clinical wastes; waste oils/water, hydrocarbons/water mixtures, emulsions; wastes from the production, formulation and use of resins, latex, plasticizers, glues/adhesives; wastes resulting from surface treatment of metals and plastics copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead.
Liquids via chemical pathways
Solids –waste pick up point cabinet outside 429 then via contractor pick up
Infectious via biological waste pathways.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
At no stage should polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or other halogenated compounds be mixed with other waste. These require special disposal through the OHS Unit. .
Case by case assessment
Chemical waste contractor
Radioactive waste
radioactive materials has
a specific activity less than 100 becquerels per gram (2.7 nCi/gm or 2.7 μCi/Kg)
a total activity less than 40 kBq (~ 1μCi) of Group1 radionuclides
Held on site until it decays to below background
Other levels apply depending on the type of radiation

9. More Stuff Waste type Description Pathway E waste
Computers, electrical goods and components
Computer reuse scheme
e-waste recycling –works and services order
Facilities
Paper
Clean printing paper and cardboard
Blue recycling bins on level 4 and 5. Boxes are to be folded and placed near the bin
Facilities ext 55111
Plant Workshop Waste
Typical waste includes hydrocarbons such as oil and grease, detergents, batteries, scrap metal, timber off cuts, Perspex, fibre glass, obsolete plant and equipment and building materials.
Liquids via chemical pathways
Batteries good condition only, in the box outside 429
Non hazardous waste in skips outside biological sciences. Small pieces in domestic waste
Equipment via works and services order for recycling

10. And More Waste type Description Pathway
Sharps
These can include syringes with needles, broken glass, scalpel blades and objects or devices having sharp points, protruding pieces or cutting edges, capable of cutting or piercing the skin
Sharps containers are in the lab store When full –lock up and placed on waste collection cabinet outside 429
Domestic waste
Non-contaminated waste, eg paper, boxes, plastic (non-scientific disposables) that have not been in contact with chemical, biological, radiation or other hazardous substances.
If it’s not in your house, it’s not in this bin
Domestic waste bins cleaned daily by the cleaners
No Gloves or specimen containers –even clean ones
Facilities 55111
Asbestos
Ovens, furnaces or other laboratory equipment which you suspect may pose an asbestos risk
Case by case assessment

11. Bit of Both I’m from the University - I’m here to help
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Co-Mingled Waste
Co-mingled waste is a combination of 2 or more waste categories, such as infectious and radioactive waste, or infectious and chemical wastes, contaminated broken glass
Case by case assessment documented in Risk Assessment
I’m from the University - I’m here to help
Consult an expert
Lab staff
Supervisors
OHS unit
Work out how to get rid of it BEFORE you start

12. Experts Ext Waste Category & Colour Code Waste Descriptor
OHS & WC Contact
Ext
Domestic
Paper and plastics
Facilities -
Bob Wilcox
56642
Broken glass
Broken glass - non contaminated
Martina Lavin
52914
Sharps
Sharps, e.g. scalpel blades, syringe needles
Adam Janssen
52214
Chemical
Biological
Infectious, Biological, Clinical, GMO, human blood or body fluids, infectious animal carcases or material
Cytotoxic
Cytotoxic drugs or materials contaminated with cytotoxic drugs
Animal Carcasses
Animal carcasses
Radioactive
Bob Armstrong
52912
Schedule 8 Drugs
Drugs of addiction
Phyllis Heggie
52916
Human Tissue
Recognisable Human Tissues or body party
Co-mingled
Mixed waste categories
General Laboratory Waste
General laboratory disposable materials eg.  including soft waste (PPE) and tips/tubes contaminated with residues including absorbent materials used with disinfectants.

13. Solid wastes are placed on waste collection cabinet outside 429
Chemical
Waste type
Description
Pathway
Chemical waste
All chemicals or materials that are contaminated with chemicals. This includes but is not limited to explosive, flammable liquids/solids, poisonous, toxic
Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Non-Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Aqueous Waste – Acid [dilute solutions less than 5M*]
Aqueous Waste – Alkali [dilute solutions less than 5M*]
Aqueous Waste with Heavy Metal Content
Aqueous Waste with non-Heavy Metal Content
*Do not mix any acids or alkalis over 5M
Liquid Waste cubes in 429
Solid wastes are placed on waste collection cabinet outside 429

14. Chemicals-Liquid Segregation
Small quantities of chemicals may be combined for waste disposal. (<200ml)
Large qualities of waste should not be mixed but stored and disposed of as unmixed waste to make recycling easier. Chemical labeling rules apply to waste.
Waste is removed by the UNSW contractor

15. Chemicals Chemical type Description Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Aromatic hydrocarbons with fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, or astatine attached. Commonly toxic but not flammable
Non-Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Organic compounds consisting of hydrogen and carbon. Commonly flammable
Aqueous Waste – Acid [dilute solutions less than 5M*]
Ph >7
Aqueous Waste – Alkali [dilute solutions less than 5M*]
Over 5M acids and Alkali must not be mixed
pH <7
Over 5M acids or Alkali solutions must not be mixed with other chemicals
Individual containers. Concentrated solutions should not be mixed
Aqueous Waste with Heavy Metal Content
Aluminum, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium as hexavalent Cr(VI), Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Lead, Manganese, Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel, Osmium, Selenium, Silver, Tellurium, Thallium, Tin, Vanadium, Zinc
Aqueous Waste with non-Heavy Metal Content
Neutral pH, no hydrocabons, no heavy metals

16. Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Common Halogenated Hydrocarbons
1,2-DIBROMOETHANE
1,2-DICHLOROETHANE
BROMINE
CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
CHLOROBENZENE
CHLOROFORM
DICHLOROMETHANE
METHYL IODIDE
TETRACHLOROETHANE
TRICHLOROACETIC ACID
TRIFLUOROACETIC ACID

17. Non-Halogenated Hydrocarbons
2,4-DINITROPHENYLHYDRAZINE
2-METHOXYETHYL ETHER (DIGLYME)
2-METHYL-2-PROPANOL (tert-BUTYL ALCOHOL)
2-METHYLPROPAN-2-OL
4-METHYLPENTAN-2-ONE
ACETIC ACID
ACETIC ANHYDRIDE
ACETONE
ACETONITRILE
AMYL ALCOHOL
BENZALDEHYDE
BENZENE
BENZOIC ACID
BENZYL ALCOHOL
BUTAN-1-OL
BUTANONE
BUTYLAMINE
CYCLOHEXANE
CYCLOHEXANOL
CYCLOHEXANONE
CYCLOHEXENE
DIETHYL ETHER
DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE
DIMETHYLGLYOXIME
DIOXANE
ETHANOL
ETHYL ACETATE
ETHYLENE GLYCOL DIMETHYL ETHER (MONOGLYME)
FORMALDEHYDE
HEXAMETHYLPHOSPHORAMIDE (HMPA)
HEXANE
LIGHT PETROLEUM
METHANOL
METHYL ANILINE
N,N-DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE
n-BUTANOL
PHENOL
PROPAN-1-OL
PROPAN-2-OL
PROPYL ACETATE
PYRIDINE
SODIUM B-NAPHTHOLIDE
TETRAHYDROFURAN
TOLUENE

18. More information
This document is a summary of HS321 UNSW Laboratory Hazardous Waste Disposal Procedure