Chemical Waste Disposal

Points to consider:

  • All chemical waste must be disposed of in accordance with the UQ Chemical Waste Operating Procedure.
  • You must read the Safety Data Sheet SDS for risk and safety information and disposal requirements for ALL THE CHEMICALS you will be working with.
  • DO NOT discard chemicals down the laboratory sink - unless you have verified that this is an appropriate disposal method.
  • Chemicals discharged to the sewer must meet the Brisbane City Council Guidelines.

Before work commences:

  • A Risk Assessment must be completed BEFORE commencing work with chemicals.
  • You must have received TRAINING before you begin working with chemicals.

Not Sure about any of the above?

  • Ask your Supervisor and/or Laboratory Manager.
  • Contact the University Chemical Store on x52345
  • Ask a specialist staff member from the UQ OH&S Unit.

Steps to follow:

     1.  Read the UQ Chemical Waste Operating Procedure.
 
If your substance can't be disposed of down the sewer or via the general waste stream:

     2.  Go to UQ ChemStore website and complete the request waste drums online form.

     3.  The UQ ChemStore will arrange for the delivery of suitable Chemical Waste containers.

     4.  Safely decant the waste chemical into the Waste Container supplied.

     5.  Go to UQ ChemStore website and complete the request waste collection online form.

     6.  Ensure Chemical Waste is stored appropriately while it is waiting to be collected.

Disposal of Empty Chemical Containers, most can be returned to the chemical store:

Note: Most chemical bottles can be returned to the chemical store for reuse as waste containers.  Please DO NOT remove or deface these labels, it is necessary to know what is in the bottles to prevent unwanted reactions.  Any excess bottles will be recycled.

 

 

In some situations it will not be possible to return chemical bottles to the chemical store.  Please contact the chemical store if you have any questions about what should be returned.

If an individual Chemical bottle can not be returned to the chemical store for reuse, and the contents can be disposed of down the sink ... safely ...

  1. Remove the lid, rinse thoroughly and dispose of lid into a Laboratory General Waste Bin.
  2. Rinse the bottle thoroughly.
  3. Remove or deface the label (so that the chemical name can’t be identified).
  4. Plastic - dispose of clean bottle (without lid) to Laboratory General Waste Bin.
  5. Glass - dispose of clean bottle (without lid) to Laboratory Glass Disposal Bin.
If the Chemical that was in the bottle can NOT be disposed of down the sink ...
  1. Contact the UQ ChemStore for disposal of the bottle as Hazardous Waste.

 

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