Hazardous Waste Disposal

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Hazardous Waste Disposal
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• Hazardous Waste Disposal
• Hazardous waste from Exempt Labs must be disposed
  of in accordance with
• Hazardous Substance (Disposal) Regulations, 2001
• DCC Trade Waste By-law
• Disposal to drains, biohazard bags, or general
  waste stream should be kept to a minimum
  practical.
• Hazardous Waste collection system in place at
  University of Otago.

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• Hazardous Waste Collections
• Can take.......

• Legacy chemicals, expired, deteriorating
  containers

• Instrument waste (e.g. HPLC)

• Solvents (e.g. Ethanol, IPA, methanol)

• Volatile toxic/odiferous substances
  (Formaldehyde, ß-mercaptoethanol)

• X-ray or photographic developer/fixer

• Heavy metals (e.g. Mercury, lead, chromium,
  cadmium...)

• Contaminated equipment, plasticware and other
  materials (e.g. Thermometers, assay waste)

• POPs/bioaccumulative substances (e.g. Dieldrin)

• Central hazardous waste store available pick-up
  of waste can be arranged anytime of the year.

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• What we cant take
• Explosives and gas cylinders require special
  collections.
• Infectious waste organised through another
  contractor (Interwaste)
• Radioactive waste
• no private contractors specialising in
  radioactive waste
• Permitted to dispose of some wastes into general
  waste stream once activity below exemption
  limits.

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• Disposal into laboratory sinks or biohazard bags
• Should be avoided -
• All sinks enter city sewerage system (includes
  fume hoods) no special treatment.
• Biohazard bags are steam sterilised not
  incinerated.
• However,
• Empty containers can be triple rinsed, labels
  defaced/removed and disposed into skip.
• Small volumes (lt200mL) of low toxicity solvents
  OK (e.g. Ethanol, isopropanol) if well diluted
  (lt10) with water.
• Plasticware (pipette tips, gloves, tubes, assay
  plates) contaminated with low hazard residue
  (general lab activities) OK to go into
  biohazard bags.
• Large volumes of assay waste should be collected.
• If in doubt collect for disposal or ask me for
  advice.

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• Dilute laboratory reagents
• ERMA has set hazard cut-offs for corrosives,
  irritants, chronic toxicity .
• Acute toxicity reduces in proportion to dilution
  factor.
• General rule of thumb
• If substance conc. lt0.1 it is unlikely to be
  classified as hazardous under HSNO or breach DCC
  Trade waste By-law, providing it does not
  contain
• Heavy metals (mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium,
  silver...)
• Persistant organic pollutants/bioaccumulative

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Management of Hazardous Waste
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• Disposal tips
• Only dispose of as much waste as you can manage
  safely
• correct and complete information
• correct labelling
• Segregation of incompatible substances
• Another collection can be arranged as necessary.

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• Segregation of waste
• Vital not to move waste into DG stores or loading
  bays without first establishing hazard
  classification and segregation requirements
• DG stores are not generic hazardous substance
  storage areas designated for specific classes.
• Class 1, 2, 4 and 5 substances do not belong in
  Class 3 stores
• Old chemicals may be unstable, leaking,
  deteriorating containers.

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Hazardous waste and Dangerous Goods regulations

• Many hazardous substances are Dangerous Goods
  for transport purposes.
• Strictly regulated
• Land Transport Rule Dangerous Goods 2005 and
  Amendment 2010
• NZS5433Transport of Dangerous Goods on Land.
  Parts 1 and 2.
• Significant penalties for non-compliance
• 1000 - 50,0000 fines
• Prosecution.
• Responsibilities on
• Consignor (sender)
• Persons loading the goods
• Driver

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• Labelling requirements
• All Dangerous Goods need to be labelled with the

UN Number
2810
TOXIC LIQUID, ORGANIC, N.O.S (contains Ethidium
bromide)
Proper Shipping Name
DG Class Symbols

• UN No., PSN and DG Classification can be obtained
  from Chemwatch
• Hazard symbols can be purchased or you can print
  your own.

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• Non-dangerous goods
• Should still be labelled with
• Major hazard present.
• Non-dangerous goods but hazardous under HSNO

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• Hazardous Waste Collection guidelines
• Guidelines available for hazardous waste
  collections
• Completion of Hazardous Waste form required
• Name on the container
• Hazardous components
• The Proper Shipping Name and Un no
• DG Classification
• HSNO Classification
• Hazchem code
• Quantity
• Type of container (glass bottle, plastic
  container, drum, box, bag...)

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• Mixed Hazardous Wastes
• Leave DG and HSNO information blank.
• Indicate major hazardous components and
  respective concentrations (if known).
• I will determine appropriate classification and
  advise as to labelling.

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• Summary
• Hazardous waste disposal is a very complicated
  logistical exercise.
• many safety issues.
• may compliance issues.
• Important that I get good support from
  departments .
• correct labelling.
• accurate information supplied via the hazardous
  waste form.