18. Waste Management

18. Waste Management

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18.1.1 Contents:

Aim / 18.2.1
Introduction / 18.3.1
Policy / 18.4.1
Implementation / 18.5.1
Use and disposal of ethidium bromide / 18.6.1
Disposal of other special (hazardous) waste / 18.7.1
Disposal of other chemical waste / 18.8.1
Disposal of confidential waste / 18.9.1
LABORATORY WASTE MANAGEMENT
Further information / 18.10.1

18.2.1 Aim: To describe waste disposal arrangements for University buildings on the Little France site,toproperly and safely segregate waste streams according to their classification, to facilitate and promote recycling where appropriate, and to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations (and University guidance) governing waste disposal

18.2.2 The special implications of managing radioactive waste are dealt with in detail in Section 19 of this Manual.

18.3.1 Introduction:It is a statutory duty to ensure that laboratory waste is segregated from domestic refuse. The University may be penalised for failing to properly segregate waste, and waste management contractors et almay be put at significant risk if they are put in the position of handling waste materials that have been incorrectly bagged and/or labelled.

18.3.2 It may come as a surprise to some who generate waste, just how many steps there are between uplift of a waste bin or bag and the place where it is finally committed for processing or disposal.

18.3.2 AS A GENERAL RULE, IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT USERS UNFAMILIAR WITH ANY ASPECT OF WASTE DISPOSAL POLICIES SHOULD CONSULT WITH THE WASTE MANAGEMENT ADVISER FOR THEIR LABORATORY BEFORE COMMITTING ANY WASTE ITEM TO DISPOSAL. BASICALLY, IF IN DOUBT – DON’T GUESS – ASK!

18.4.1 Policy:All people generating and handling waste arising within University buildings on the Little France site must conform to the segregation strategy described in this and the following section (Section 19: Disposal of Radioactive Waste) of this Manual.

18.5.1 Implementation: The following areas of University buildings on the Little France site have been specially designated for receipt and temporary storage of waste:

GU421 (Ground floor, Chancellor’s Building) – General waste;

GU420 (Ground floor, Chancellor’s Building) – Clinical and radioactive waste;

• Flammable substances store (Chancellor’s Building) - Chemical waste;
• E 0.18 (Queen’s Medical Research Institute) – Clinical waste;
• E 0.29 (Queen’s Medical Research Institute) – Radioactive waste
• Flammable substances store (Queen’s Medical Research Institute) - Chemical waste;
• G1.07 (Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine) – Clinical, radioactive and flammable substances waste.

In addition, a compactor and a baler have been installed for the Queen’s Medical Research Institute,with which to manageme some types of non-laboratory/domestic refuse.

18.5.2 Under the project agreement for the Chancellor’s Building, it is the responsibility of ENGIE to empty, temporarily store and consign general waste deposited in appropriate waste bins within laboratory and office areas. It is, however, the responsibility of users to place all other categories of waste in one of the above designated rooms within an appropriate bag or container.

18.5.3 Laboratory workers must exercise a duty of care for the safety of non-laboratory personnel (e.g. cleaners and waste management contractors) working within their laboratoriesor handling waste as it is uplifted and subsequently handled, which includes the possibility of inappropriate contact with material committed incorrectly to general waste bins.

18.5.4 Details of all categories of waste arising within University buildings on the Little France campus, the appropriate waste disposal container and uplift procedures, are listed in table at the end of this Section.Individual laboratories may make use of that table, or prepare more graphic flowcharts, and tailor these to their own individual circumstances, but steps must be taken to ensure that variations adapted from master templates remain accurate and correct.

18.6.1 Use and Disposal of Ethidium Bromide: As a general rule, the use of ethidium bromide for staining DNA in gels or solutions should be discouraged in favour of less toxic commercially available alternatives, except where none of the alternatives prove suitable (and that should be reflected in risk assessments prepared in connection with that work).

18.6.2 Waste disposal policy and disposal routes for ethidium bromide depend on whether it exists as a crystalline solid, as a solution in gel electrophoresis or staining buffers, or as a component of agarose gels,and the concentration at which it is present.

18.6.3 These points are discussed at greater length in Guidance Note GN01(2008)Rev2 accessible at:

18.6.4Low-Level Ethidium Bromide Waste: Agarosegels or other solids containinglow levels (less than 0.1%w/v) of ethidium bromide, though remaining a health and safety concern, may be disposed of by the orange bag route (see Laboratory Waste Management Table annexed to this Section).

18.6.5Concentrated Ethidium Bromide ‘Special Waste’: Powder and crystals of ethidium bromide, activated carbon filters and “destaining bags” used to decontaminate gel buffers containing ethidium bromide, and gels and solutions containing concentrations in excess of 0.1% (w/v) ethidium bromide, must be disposed of as ‘Special Waste’. Further information is available in the form of Little France H&S Guidance Note GN01(2008)Rev2,accessible at or from the University’s Waste & Environment Manager (Telephone 651 4287 or email ).

18.7.1 Disposal of Other Special (Hazardous) Waste: Regulations and guidance regarding disposal of hazardous waste are complex and change frequently. Substances that are generally considered to be “hazardous” in this context include acids, alkaline solutions, batteries, industrial solvents, waste oils and oily sludges, pesticides, pharmaceutical compounds, photographic chemicals, televisions and computer monitors, paints, and fluorescent lighting tubes.

18.7.2 It would be difficult to provide simple but useful and definitive guidance in this Manual without creating the need for very frequent updates. Reference should be made therefore to well-maintained and frequently updated references available at:

18.7.3 The information provided in the University’s Estate Waste Management web site (above), summarises the methodology outlined by UK waste management regulators to determine whether waste is or is not hazardous, and the correct management strategies for specific substances and waste materials

18.8.1 Disposal of Other Chemical Waste: Certain types of liquid chemical waste are collected (as sevendifferent categories) in Flammable Substances Stores for the Chancellor’s Building, QMRI and SCRM:

1: Formaldehydese.g. formalin, formaldehyde and paraformaldehyde solutions

2: Bouinse.g.formaldehyde, picric acid and acetic acid mix

3: Liquid DAB (3.3 diaminobenzidine tetra hydrochloride)

4: Chlorinated waste (in containers of volume no greater than 10l) e.g.Chloroform, Methacarn (chloroform, methanol, acetic acid mix),phenol and chloroform mixes,phenol waste oils (e.g. CCL4 in olive oil)

5: Non-chlorinated wastee.g. acetone, ethanol, methanol, IMS, isopropanol, ether, non-halogenated waste, butan-1-ol, dimethylsulphoxide, Histoclear, xylene and xylene-alcohol mixes)

6. Waste oils

7. Special collectionsto kept separately (mostly in small volumes)e.g.Beta mercaptoethanol, gluteraldehyde, borax (sodium tetraborate), sodium thiocyanate formamide, picric acid (<3%)

18.8.2 Liquid waste falling into one of the abovecategories(1-7) should be committed to the relevant container (as labelled) in the Flammable Substances Store for the building within which the waste was generated (containers of volume up to 25l capacity unless stated otherwise above).

18.8.3 Other waste chemicals (sealed in appropriate and correctly labelled containers) should be inventoried and placed in robust cardboard boxes, which should then also be sealed. Care should be taken to ensure that all substances collected together within any one box are safety compatible, and boxes should be appropriately separated to distance incompatible collections.

18.8.4 Boxes should be labelled‘Waste Chemicals for Disposal’, and clearly marked to identify the relevant laboratory number and building address from which the waste is being consigned. An inventory of contents (names of chemicals, forms and quantities) should also be attached to the box. Copy of inventory to be used available online:

18.8.5 Waste, other than those listed at 18.8.1 above, should be retained in a safe and secure location within the building where the waste has arisen pending agreement and notification of a time and location for uplift. Waste consignors should then inform the Health & Safety Manager, who will undertake to coordinate disposals from the Little France campus to make best and most cost-effective use of uplift services on behalf of all users groups.

18.8.6Periodically Stores personnel will inform the University’s School of Chemistry of the need to uplift volumes of waste of those categories listed at 18.8.1.

18.8.7 When significant quantities of other items of chemical waste have been accumulated within University buildings on the Little France campus, Waste Advisors at floor level in each of our buildings should inform the Health & Safety Manager who will, in turn, contact UofE’s School of Chemistry and request awaste disposal uplift.

18.8.8 Information regarding safe disposal of chemical waste can be obtained from material safety data sheets, COSHH risk assessments, safe systems of work, Waste Advisers serving laboratory groups, and/or:

18.9.1 Disposal of Confidential Waste: Collection and uplift of
bags of confidential waste may be requested by University staff members. An order should be raised via eIT, specifying the number and location of bags (building, floor and roomnumber)and a contact name and telephone number for the responsible person. Completion of an eIT request should also specify the following information:

Supplying School: Estates & Buildings

Sub-Unit: Estates Waste Management

Receiver: Natalia Gibczynska or Sophie Rippinger

18.9.2 Once an eIT number has been issued in respect of the order, an email should be sent to providing any additional extra details and information that might be useful to the uplifting contractors (together with the relevant eIT number).

18.9.3 For those who are not registered to use the eIT system, requests may be made by emailing , specifying the location and number of bags to be uplifted (as above). A purchaseordernumber mustbe issued, which should be quoted on invoices relating to the disposal.

18.9.4 Empty white “hessian” sacks with blue writingfor disposal of confidential waste may also be ordered by .

18.10.1 Further Information: Detailed information on health and safety aspects of waste disposal appears on the University’s Health and Safety web site (and should be consulted):

• Chemicals:

(Paragraph 2.13)

• Biological waste:

(Paragraph 7)

• Radioactive waste:

(See also Section 19 of this Manual).

18.10.2 Further information on disposal of special (hazardous) waste appears also on the University’s Estate Waste Management web site (and should also be consulted):

18.10.3BUT, TO REPEAT …AS A GENERAL RULE, IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT USERS UNFAMILIAR WITH ANY ASPECT OF WASTE DISPOSAL POLICIES SHOULD CONSULT WITH THE WASTE MANAGEMENT ADVISER FOR THEIR LABORATORY BEFORE COMMITTING ANY WASTE ITEM TO DISPOSAL. BASICALLY, IF IN DOUBT – DON’T GUESS – ASK!

Manual 18 V230/01/2019

LABORATORY WASTE MANAGEMENT

Category / Examples / Container / Procedure
General Laboratory and
Office Waste
(Uncontaminated)
[Chancellor’s Building only] /  Uncontaminated paper, cardboard, packing materials etc. Uncontaminated hand towels etc. Uncontaminated empty plastic bottles (after washing or rinsing and removing or obscuring hazard warning labels), uncontaminated plastic containers.
No offensive waste, no gloves, no laboratory consumables, no pipettes, no gels, no blots, no glass or sharps. / Black plastic bag in black bin. Cardboard to be flattened and set aside for baling and recycling. Paper to Treecycler trays,Shanks binsor clear sided, blue-lidded “Paper” bins for recycling. / Remove bags and seal off with plastic tie and place in the waste collection skip to the rear of the building. Cardboard that has been flattened and set aside may be sent for baling and recycling.
General Laboratory and
Office Waste
(Uncontaminated)
[QMRI and SCR|M only] /  Uncontaminated paper, cardboard, packing materials etc. Uncontaminated hand towels etc. Uncontaminated empty plastic bottles (after washing or rinsing and removing or obscuring hazard warning labels), uncontaminated plastic containers. Office waste may contain plastic drinks bottle and metal drinks tins.
 No offensive waste, no gloves, no laboratory consumables, no pipettes, no gels, no blots, no glass or sharps.
Arrangements for disposal of recyclables including drinks cans etc will be made clearer as special waste disposal containers are introduced into the QMRI and SCRM buildings. / Clear plastic bag in small black bin. Cardboard to be flattened and set aside for baling and recycling. Paper to Treecycler trays or Veoliabins for recycling. / Cleaners remove bags and cardboard that has been flattened and set aside for bailing and recycling.
Cleaners remove bags and dispose of these in Shanks bins to rear of QMRI. This waste is subject to sorting by the waste management contractor into separate recycling streams.
General Laboratory Waste
[Centre for Infectious Diseases only] /  Agar plates, gels (other than those containing ethidium bromide), disposable laboratory plastic-ware, disposable gloves, paper towels, Eppendorf tubes, pipettes, pipette tips, biologically contaminated plastic-ware, syringes (no needles).
 No glass or sharps / Initially collected into clear biohazard bags lining steel buckets. / Contents of clear biohazard bags are autoclaved and the melted-down mass is transferred into a black bag, closed off with a plastic tie and placed in the waste collection skip to the rear of the building.
Cytotoxic
Waste / All categories of biological waste containing or contaminated with cytotoxic medicines or hazardous substances above published hazardous thresholds (e.g.ethidium bromideat concentrations ≥0.1%). Refer to seek advice from Laboratory Waste Management Adviser. / Yellow rigid bin with purple lid.
/ Seal lid, attach barcode and complete labels record sheet. Contact Waste and Environment Manager (Phone:0131 650 934) to arrange uplift.
GM Waste / All GM waste must be autoclaved or chemically disinfected and then segregated as follows:
GM waste from microbiology lab; GM waste from tissue culture rooms. GM contaminated tissue culture plates, pipettes etcmust either be autoclaved or chemically disinfected by soaking in 1% w/v Virkon, or 1,000 ppm Presept (four 0.5g tablets into one litre of water) for at least two hours before discharging any excess liquid via drains. See also local rules for GM work. Carcasses of animals experimentally infected with micro-organisms (wild type or GM) must be autoclaved before disposal; carcasses of genetically modified animals uninfected with GMMO’s are to be managed by the yellow bag route (but do not have to be autoclaved before disposal).
 No glass or sharps. / Either blue or clear plastic bag for autoclaving followed by orange bag (or yellow bag for carcass waste);
Or
Following chemical decontamination, orange plastic bag or orangebin. / Transfer for heat treatment in specially designated autoclave (including carcasses of animals experimentally infected with GM micro-organisms), using a make-safe cycle, then over-bag heat-treated waste in an orange bag or yellow bag (carcass only) or straight to orange bag following chemical decontamination and commit for management as per Clinical/ Biological (for heat treatment) waste stream.
Infectious Waste (Pre-treatment) / All infectious waste must be autoclaved or chemically disinfected and then segregated as outlined in the two rows below: / Either blue or clear plastic bag for autoclaving. / Autoclave all infectious or potentially infectious waste (including carcasses of animals experimentally infected with wild type micro-organisms), using a make-safe cycle as specified in BS 2646, Part 3, 1993. Then place autoclaved waste into yellow or orange sacks if still clinical waste (as detailed below).
Clinical/ Biological Waste
(For incineration) / All non-infectious and autoclaved tissue, organs, blood etc (taking steps to strictly separate human and animal materials), blood bags,  No glass or sharps. No GM waste or carcasses of animals infected with GM micro-organisms (see above). / Yellow plastic bag in yellow bin.
/ After cooling, place autoclaved or non-infectious waste into yellow bag, seal with plastic tie, attach barcode label and complete label records sheet, and write Department, Bay/Room Number and date on bag. Transfer all autoclaved and yellow bagged waste to freezer in designated clinical waste store room.
Clinical/ Biological Waste
(For heat
treatment) / All non-infectious and autoclaved disposable gloves, potentially contaminated paper towels, Eppendorf tubes, pipettes, pipette tips, plastic-ware, syringe bodies (No needles!), gels containing ethidium bromide (with a concentration <0.1%). All plastic-ware from tissue culture rooms (except GM contaminated, which must first be decontaminated as described under ‘GM Waste’ – above – before disposal via this orange bag route).
No glass or sharps. / Orange plastic bag in orange bin.
/ Place cooled autoclaved or non-infectious waste into orange bag, seal with plastic tie, attach barcode label and complete label records sheet, and write Department, Bay/Room Number and date on bag. If waste contains ethidium bromide, use special labels provided (see Little France H&S Guidance Note (Rev 2, May 2008) at Transfer to orange/red wheeled bin in designated clinical waste store room.
Paraffin blocks containing histological samples (see also separate section below dealing with “Wax” / Contact Waste and Environment Manager (0131 650 9346) to arrange disposal of these items, but aim for economy of scale by arranging to dispose of a range of similar items at the same time.
Sample tubes containing human blood etc not known to contain HG3 pathogens
(For heat
treatment) / Human and animal blood samples (etc) where these are not believed to contain HG3 pathogens. / Specially designated and clearly labelled container marked “Human waste for incineration” / Seal lid, attach barcode and complete labels record sheet. Contact Waste and Environment Manager (Phone: 0131 650 9346) to arrange uplift.
Radioactive Waste (combustible) / Very low level radioactive waste as defined in the University’s guidance note GN009 (Disposal of Radioactive Waste) at category takes priority over other categories). Seek advice from a Radiation Protection Supervisor, and refer to all relevantlocal rules pertaining to use and disposal of radioactive substances. Further information is contained in Section 19 of the Health & Safety Manual for Little France. / Yellow plastic bag with hazard warning tape inside ayellow bin with a red lid and with a radiation trefoil sign displayed, or a red plastic bin obtained and used for this specific purpose. / Seal disposable bins with self-sealing lids, attach barcode label and complete labels record sheet, and write Department, Bay/Room Number and date on container. Transfer to metal cabinet in designated radioactive waste store room. Place appropriate transport labelling on container prior to transport.