Chemical Waste

Waste Disposal

Unwanted chemical waste or surplus chemicals can be disposed of through the EHS office. To request disposal, you must submit a pickup request in the Hazardous Waste Portal.

Access to the Hazardous Waste Portal requires completion of Hazardous Waste Training, available on our Training Page. Once you have successfully completed the training, contact EHS at ehs@wwu.edu to be added as a user.

For any questions about this process or for more information on training and waste disposal, please email EHS at ehs@wwu.edu.

Waste Labeling

All containers of hazardous waste MUST be labeled at all times with a completed hazardous waste label as shown below. The following fields must be filled out when waste is first added to a container:

Generator name
Generator phone number
Building
Room number
Start date
Chemical composition (the name of each chemical and the percent composition)
Hazards (toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive)

The hazardous waste label must be securely attached to the container and fully completed, clearly identifying the contents and checking all relevant hazards. If you are not sure which hazards are associated with your waste, you can check the safety data sheet or contact EHS by email at ehs@wwu.edu.

The following labels can be printed out on AVERY 5164 (or equivalent) sized labels.

Non-Fillable Hazardous Waste Label

Oversized Waste Container Labeling

If the container you are using is larger than four liters, there is a secondary requirement for the placement of oversized labels. These oversized labels provide a hazard warning for the container that can be seen at a distance. For each hazard indicated on the hazardous waste label, a matching oversized label must be affixed to the container. If you are not sure what hazards are associated with your waste, you can check the safety data sheet or contact EHS by email at ehs@wwu.edu.

The following labels can be printed out on AVERY 5164 (or equivalent) sized labels.

Waste Storage

There are some requirements listed below for waste storage in your lab or workspace. These come directly from the Department of Ecology (DOE) and are items that we will be considered for compliance during a DOE inspection.

Containers of hazardous waste must be kept closed except for when waste is being added (Eco-funnels are fine but the lids must be closed when not adding waste to the container).
All waste must have a completed hazardous waste label at all times.
Containers that are larger than four liters must be labeled with oversized waste labels in addition to the hazardous waste label.
A bottle is considered full if it is at 75% capacity and it should be sent for pickup/disposal.

Training

Each WWU faculty or staff member generating hazardous waste needs to complete annual training to comply with federal and state regulations. The Hazardous Waste Training Canvas course includes the following training elements:

Waste characterization
Managing hazardous waste in satellite accumulation areas
Wase disposal procedures
Universal waste
Emergency equipment and response

Students using chemicals and/or engaging in independent research where they create hazardous waste need to comply with this training requirement as well. Students may receive department-based training. If not, students should contact their instructor to determine the appropriate method of training.

Access the Hazardous Waste Training on our Training Page.