Hazardous waste standard

The anatomical waste stream includes any identifiable body part and also includes pathological specimens, biopsy specimens, and tissue taken during surgery or autopsy.

Biological wastes are wastes that contain or have been contaminated by a biohazardous agent. This includes:

• Human, animal, or plant pathogens
• Recombinant nucleic acids
• Human or animal, blood, bodily fluids, tissues, cultures, cells, or other potentially infectious material
• Contaminated materials include tissue culture dishes and flasks, petri dishes, centrifuge tubes, test tubes, pipettes, vials, absorbent materials, used gloves, face masks, soiled lab coats or clothing.

See the Biological Waste Segregation Guideline for details segregation requirements.

Solids, liquids, or gases containing or contaminated with any of the following:

• Flammable solvents
• Leachable toxic materials (heavy metals, pesticides)
• Corrosives (hydrochloric acid, potassium hydroxide pellets)
• Reactives (oxidizers, cyanides, sulphides, explosives, unstable materials and water reactive materials – sodium metal, benzoyl peroxide)
• Toxic materials including carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, and other items that are considered chronically toxic
• PCB’s
• Non-returnable gas cylinders

Chemical waste segregation is outlined in the Hazardous Liquid Chemical Waste Flowchart and the Hazardous Solid Chemical Waste Flowchart. Chemical waste not in the original container must be accompanied with a Waste Profile Form (see How to Fill Out the Waste Profile Form) and labelled appropriately.

Used electronic waste (e.g. computers, monitors, cell phones, mice, keyboards), batteries (e.g. lithium ion, nickel metal hydride, alkaline, lead, mercury), paints and paint solvents.

This only applies to waste generated on campus. Items from home should not be brought to campus for disposal. 

Note of Equipment Disposal:

• Equipment for disposal needs to have all liquids drained from the instrument (oils. Freons, water, etc.) before it can be sent for disposal (more info).
• Plant Operations needs to decommission and tag fridges for disposal before they will be taken (more info).

See the Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Guidance.

Mixtures include:

• Biological and chemical wastes mixed: inactivate biological waste and segregate into it's own container
• Biological and radioactive wastes mixed: inactivate biological waste and dispose of as radioactive waste
• Chemical and radioactive wastes mixed: segregate and dispose of as radioactive waste

Contact the ESF at esf@uwaterloo.ca for advice.

Any solid, liquid, or gas that contains a nuclear substance or that is contaminated by a nuclear substance.

Radiological waste is outlined in the Radiological Waste Segregation Guideline.

Glass and Sharps Waste are two distinct categories and are treated differently. These include: 

• Broken glass: Glass, microscope slides
• Sharps: syringe assemblies, needles, scalpel blades, razor blades

See the Sharps and Glass Waste Segregation Guideline.

When chemical bottles are empty they must be cleaned/rinsed of any remainder residue. Labels should be defaced, then they may be recycled in normal recycling. ESF accepts drop off of bottles less than 4L during the normal waste appointments during the drop off of lab waste for reuse.

Bottles that cannot be cleaned will be brought to the ESF as contaminated chemical waste as per the Hazardous Solid Chemical Waste Flowchart.

If the components of the waste is unknown and the waste profile form / label cannot be completed, the waste must be brought down to the ESF with a filled in Unknown Chemical Analysis Billing Sheet. Unknowns will not be accepted without a completed Unknown Analysis form.

Unknowns must be brought down to the ESF to be disposed off and not stored in the lab. This is especially important if the unknown has chemical residues, crystals, or other evidence of deterioration.

Contact the ESF at esf@uwaterloo.ca for advice.