Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for assisting ASU with hazardous waste management procedures including waste identification, storage, packaging, manifesting, shipping, disposal, reporting, records keeping and training that are applicable with State, Federal and local requirements. Hazardous waste may be generated from laboratory operations, facilities operations and maintenance, construction and renovation activities, photo processing and a variety of other activities at ASU.
Please be sure to inspect your waste periodically to ensure that containers are closed and free of leaks. Environmental Health and Safety maintains all waste records.
Scheduling a waste pick-up
Biological, hazardous and universal waste is routinely picked up Monday through Friday.
- Do not fill the waste container beyond the bottom of the container's neck to avoid spills.
- Complete a hazardous waste tag and attach it to your waste container.
- Fill out the online hazardous waste pick-up request form.
- Note: If you have waste in one location that totals more than 55 gallons or a total of one quart of all acutely hazardous waste, add a note in the comments section of the request to ensure proper pick-up support.
Email EHS or call at 480-965-1823 with hazardous waste questions.
Biological waste
Applicable guidelines:
- ASU biological waste handling procedures.
- Chemical hygiene plan.
- Hazardous waste management compliance guidelines.
Applicable regulations:
- Arizona Administrative Code, Article 14, Biohazardous Medical Waste and Discarded Drugs.
- NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acids.
- U.S. Department of Labor, 29 CFR § 1910.1030, OSHA Blood-borne Pathogens Exposure Control.
Summary of requirements:
Regulatory requirements applicable to generators of biological waste.
- Biological wastes such as blood, body fluids, tissues, tumors, human cell lines, recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids, bacteria, and other microorganisms should be placed in red or orange bags and autoclaved. Autoclaved bags should then be placed in a red bag or red drum for pick up by hazardous waste personnel.
- EHS has a policy of nothing in the trash, nothing down the drain. All liquid biological waste needs to be labeled with a hazardous waste tag and treated as a chemical waste.
- EHS may require the use of a yellow drum instead of a red drum. EHS will determine when a yellow drum is needed. Biological waste placed in yellow drums must be bagged.
- Sharps such as needles, syringes, pipettes, pipette tips, scalpels, slides and coverslips must be placed in a rigid, leak-proof, puncture-resistant container with a secure locking cap.
- When a red drum, yellow drum, sharps containers or liquid hazardous waste is ready for removal, please submit an submit an online hazardous waste pick-up request.
If you need any other assistance or have questions, please feel free to contact Environmental Health and Safety at 480-965-1823.
Training
Employees who work with biologicals and chemicals in academic and research labs are required to take the following training including an annual refresher. If you have questions about specific training requirements, please use the training determination tool.
- Biosafety and blood-borne pathogens.
- Hazardous waste management.
- Laboratory safety.
For more information on training details, times and locations, please visit the EHS training site.
Chemical Exchange Program
Arizona State University labs may send unused and unopened chemicals to the Chemical Exchange Program. The program delivers these chemicals to other labs, reducing waste by potentially diverting chemicals destined for disposal.
How to donate unopened and unexpired chemicals:
- Complete a waste tag for each chemical to be donated.
- Submit a Hazardous Waste removal form.
- In the comment field, indicate that your chemical is for the Chemical Exchange Program.
- EHS will pick up the chemicals from the lab.
- Do not deliver the chemicals to EHS for disposal.
How to request chemicals:
- Contact ehs@asu.edu.
- Requested chemicals will be delivered to the labs free of charge.
Labs can be alerted of any free, donated chemicals as they become available. If you would like to be a part of this email list, email EHS.
Hazardous waste
Applicable guidelines:
Applicable policies:
- EHS 401 - Hazardous Waste Management.
Applicable regulations:
Summary of requirements
Regulatory requirements are applicable to generators of hazardous waste.
- Waste containers: Containers are available through EHS and must be clean and compatible with the waste being stored and kept closed at all times except when adding waste.
- Labeling: Containers which store hazardous waste must be properly and clearly labeled. Containers must:
- Be marked with the words hazardous waste.
- Include the name and amount of each waste constituent in the container. The total must equal 100 percent.
- Include the physical state of the waste such as solid or liquid.
- Include the hazard class or category of the waste such as corrosive, flammable, toxic and reactive).
- Hazardous waste tag: Waste tags are available through EHS and each container must have a completed hazardous waste tag attached prior to pick up by EHS.
- Satellite accumulation: Hazardous waste accumulation in the lab must be at or near the point of generation and under the control of the person generating the waste. Satellite accumulation containers must be closed at all times except when waste is being added to the container.
- Nothing down the drain, nothing in the trash.
- All chemical waste is considered hazardous waste.
Training
Employees who work in academic and research labs are required to take the following training including an annual refresher. If you have questions about specific training requirements please use the training determination tool.
- Hazardous waste management.
- Laboratory safety.
For more information on training details, times and locations, please visit the EHS training site.
Universal waste
ASU uses a large amount and variety of electronic lamps. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, considers spent lamps to be hazardous and used lamps are known as universal wastes. Examples of common electronic lamps that are universal wastes include intact fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, neon, mercury vapor, high-pressure sodium, metal halide lamps and incandescent lamps. The hazardous constituents of concern in electronic lamps are the heavy metals used in manufacture, such as mercury and lead. The EPA regulates universal wastes under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which is the same law that defines hazardous waste. This rule streamlines the hazardous waste regulation requirements for hazardous waste lamps. Electronic lamps must be handled correctly; EPA and state regulators consider unmanaged lamps to be hazardous waste.
Applicable guideline:
Applicable policies:
- EHS 401 - Hazardous waste management.
Applicable regulations:
Summary of requirements:
Regulatory requirements are applicable to generators of universal waste. Proper handling of mercury-containing lamps:
- Carefully remove the lamp from the light fixture.
- Place the lamp into the cardboard box or sleeve from which it arrived. Cardboard drums are also provided for this purpose.
- Fold over end flaps and close with appropriate tape.
- Mark the container appropriately with the words used mercury lamps and generation date.
- Carefully move the filled and labeled container to the campus accumulation point for this waste in a manner designed to prevent breakage of lamps or submit a hazardous waste pickup request.
Training
Employees who work in academic and research labs are required to take the following training including an annual refresher. If you have a question about specific training requirements please use the training determination tool.
- Hazardous waste management.
- Laboratory safety.
For more information on training details, times and locations, please visit the EHS training site.
Shipping
EHS will help classify your shipment, complete shippers declaration forms, commercial invoices and FedEx airway bills. EHS can also help with package selection, and consult about international shipments and customs requirements.
Prior to submitting the completed form email the Office of Industry Research & Collaboration, or OIRC, to see if a material transfer agreement, or MTA, is required.
International shipments may require export permits and the recipient may require import permits, please plan accordingly. For international shipments only please email the ASU Office of Research Integrity for a Pro forma BOL.
ASU intent to ship hazardous materials form
Anyone shipping using dry ice must take EHS dry ice training before shipping.
