Collect empty aerosol cans in a container labeled with the DRS Waste Tag. On the Waste Tag check the box next to “Ignitable” to indicate this hazardous waste characteristic. Request the full container of aerosol cans for disposal through the DRS Waste Management App. Use UI# 7107 AEROSOL CAN to identify the container of aerosol cans.
Request unwanted batteries for disposal through the DRS Waste Management App. DRS will recycle batteries whenever possible. Lithium metal, lithium-ion and lithium polymer batteries must have their terminals (or connections) protected during shipment to prevent short circuits; non-conductive tape can be used for this purpose.
Batteries should be separated and requested for disposal by type. You may add like batteries to a zip lock bag or box and request them as 1 item with weight being in total pounds (not to exceed 35 pounds). Use one of the following UI#’s when requesting your batteries for disposal:
If your batteries are not listed above, please select UI# 1 and specify the type of battery in the Waste Description field.
Examples of chemical waste include but are not limited to: unused and surplus reagent chemicals; chemical waste generated from research and educational experiments and procedures; spent solvents, stains, strippers, thinners, varnishes, and wood preservatives; used oil of all types; batteries; non-returnable gas cylinders; spent acids and bases; personal protective equipment, laboratory equipment, and glassware contaminated with chemicals; clean-up debris generated from chemical spills; discarded equipment containing hazardous materials; photographic film processing solutions; pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers; mercury-containing items; unused and surplus cleaners (e.g., bleach, carpet cleaners, disinfectants, floor polish and wax, toilet cleaners); unused and surplus paint, both oil and latex; aerosol cans (e.g., air fresheners, paint, cleaners, etc.); fuel oils; and preserved specimens.
Contaminated debris should have no free-flowing liquids or solid chemicals, only residues. Debris includes gloves, paper, plastic, glass, and other inert material contaminated with chemicals that meet one of the following:
Debris that does not fall into one of the above scenarios is not considered contaminated debris and may be disposed of in the regular trash.
Packaging: Contaminated debris should be placed in sturdy plastic bags and closed securely. Attach a DRS Waste Tag to the outside of bags to identify each constituent of the debris waste (e.g., paper towels contaminated with acetic acid). Do not use biohazard or radioactive waste bags for chemical waste or chemical-contaminated debris unless the hazard is present. (Note that ethidium bromide waste is a chemical waste, not a biohazardous waste.)
Request contaminated debris for disposal through the DRS Waste Management App. If you have contaminated debris waste which is not in the Waste Management App, select UI# 1 and then in the Waste Description field list each constituent of the debris waste (e.g., paper towels contaminated with acetic acid).
See the DEA Controlled Substances Guide for disposal procedures.
To dispose of unneeded equipment follow the Office of Business and Financial Services (OBFS) Equipment Disposal Method procedures. In addition, complete the Facilities & Services (F&S) Servicing and Decommissioning of Laboratory Equipment, Appliances, and Systems form for each piece of equipment that is to be disposed. The form must be completed and attached to the equipment prior to pickup by F&S or the contracted recycler. Contact the F&S Service Office at 217-333-0340 to arrange pickup.
Jerricans should be used to collect liquid high-volume (at least 10 L or more a year) waste streams that are not reactive, extremely toxic, or malodorous. Solids must be filtered out before adding the waste to a jerrican. Wastes that should be collected in jerricans include:
Other waste streams may be accepted in jerricans. Check with the DRS Chemical Waste Section (DRS-Waste@illinois.edu or 217-333-2755) before using a jerrican to be sure that DRS can bulk the waste. Otherwise, DRS may be unable to return the jerrican because it will have to be directly packed for shipment to the off-site waste treatment and disposal facility where it will be destroyed.
DO NOT place the following chemicals in a jerrican. Chemicals known to react with solvents or that are otherwise extremely toxic should never be added to a jerrican.
Chemicals that should NOT be collected in Jerricans | ||
Acetaldehyde | Hypochlorite esters | Phosphite esters |
Acyl halides | Iron petnacarbonyl | Phosphite esters |
Alkaline and alkaline earth hydrides and alkyls in solutions | Isocyanates | Polymer solutions |
Alkyl silyl halides | Isocyanides | Poly-nitro compounds |
Alkynes | Lithium aluminum hydride | Propargyl bromides |
Allyl Alcohol | Mercaptans/ Thiols | Pyrocarbonate esters |
Aluminum and gallium trialkyls | Mercury compounds | Pyrrole |
Amines > 5% by vol. | Metal halides and oxyhalides | Silicon and germanium hydroalkyls |
Anhydrides | Monomers (polymerizable) | Sodium or calcium hydride |
Arsines | Nitrate esters | Sulfate esters |
Aziridines | Nitric acid | Sulfite esters |
Boranes | Nitriles | Sulfonate esters |
Bromine | Nitrite esters | Sulfones |
Carbon disulfide | Nitro esters | Sulfonyl halides |
Carbonyls | Nitroso esters | Sulfuric acid (conc.) |
Chloroformates | Nitrosoureas | Thallium ethoxide |
Chloromethylsilanes | Nitrosourethanes | Thio ketones or esters |
Chloropicrin | Paint | Thiocarbonyls |
Chromate esters | PCBs | Vinyls |
Cyanohydrins | Perfluoroaliphatic acids | Zinc and cadmium alkyls |
Dienes | Peroxides | |
Ethyl Ether > 5% by vol. | Phosphate esters | |
Hydrazines | Phosphines | |
See Laboratory Glassware Disposal for disposal guidance.
Call or email the F&S Service Office (217-333-0340 or fsserviceoffice@illinois.edu) to schedule the pickup of the lamps (fluorescent lamps, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, mercury vapor lamps, UV lamps) for disposal through the F&S Laborer Electrician Shop.
Dispose of both intact and broken mercury thermometers through the DRS waste program. Place broken thermometers into a sealable container such as a wide mouth polyethylene jar with a screw cap. If the thermometer is too big to fit into a container, place heavy tape over the broken ends and put it into a heavy-duty plastic bag. Label as “Waste–broken mercury thermometer”. Request mercury thermometers for disposal through the DRS Waste Management App. Use one of the following UI#’s when requesting the mercury thermometers for disposal:
Wastes that are radioactive and/or infectious as well as chemically hazardous. Try to avoid mixing chemical waste with infectious or radioactive wastes, as they are difficult and often expensive to dispose of. Please consult with DRS before generating this kind of waste.
See definition for materials that qualify as “sharps”. All sharps shall be disposed of in approved Sharps Disposal Containers (SDCs), which are provided free of charge to university personnel. SDCs are closable, puncture resistant, leak-proof on the sides and bottoms, and available in three sizes (1-quart, 2-gallon, or 8-gallon sharps disposal container). Request SDCs for disposal through the DRS Waste Management App.Use one of the following UI#’s to request disposal:
If you have unlabeled chemical containers in your workplace for disposal, ask the person who generated the substance to identify it. Consult with the Principal Investigator (PI) or Supervisor/Manager about the type of work that was being conducted. Ask others if they are responsible for the unknown chemical or can help identify it; someone may remember its contents. If only general information is available, label it as follows: