1.4: Waste Disposal Guidelines

A. Biohazard Bag Containers (contaminated, non-sharp items that DO NOT pose a threat of poking through a bag)

• Autoclavable, loose red or orange bags with the Biohazard symbol

• Dispose of the following in here:
  • Paperware that contains blood and blood products o Designated animal tissues
  • Cultures and stocks of infectious agents
  • Potentially infectious bacteria, viruses, and spores o Toxins
  • Live and attenuated vaccines
  • Labware (not defined as a sharp) that has come into contact with the aforementioned wastes (e.g. contaminated plastic pipettes, pipette tips, petri dishes, centrifuge tubes, Eppendorf tubes, disposable gloves, and wipes)

B. Biohazard Sharps Containers (contaminated, sharp items that DO pose a threat of poking through the bag) Adapted from the University of Washington EHS Department: http://www.ehs.washington.edu/LabSaf/sharp.htm

• Containers come in different shapes and sizes. At RVCC, all of these containers are red or white plastic containers with a tight fitting lid.
• "Sharps" are a restricted waste according to state and local regulators and must not be disposed of in the regular waste stream. The term "sharps" is a regulatory waste classification associated with those instruments used to puncture, cut, or scrape body parts and that, as waste, can cause punctures or cuts to solid waste handlers or the public. This is interpreted to mean that any instrument that looks like it is meant to be used in this manner must be disposed of as sharps waste. The sharps definition includes, but is not limited to, the following items:
• Dispose of the following in here:
  • lancets
  • hypodermic needles
  • syringes
  • scalpel blades
  • glass Pasteur pipettes o microtome blades
  • dental scalers
  • razor blades
  • other sharp, metal lab waste
  • contaminated glass such as slides used for blood smears
  • anything that is contaminated with blood or other bodily fluid and has the potential to puncture the plastic biohazard bags

C. Broken Glass Containers

• Usually a study white cardboard box with blue writing. Does not have a biohazard label.
• Dispose of the following broken Non-Contaminated glass ware including:
  • Clean, used microscope slides
  • Broken beakers, Pipets, flasks, graduated cylinders, et al.
• • DO NOT dispose of items contaminated with bodily fluids, lens paper, paper towels, unwashed

glassware, culture tubes from microbiology experiments, et al., in these boxes.

D. Regular Trash

• Dispose of anything not listed above in the regular trash, including used dialysis bags, uncontaminated disposable pipets, gloves (unless they’re dripping with PIM or OPIM). If in doubt, please ask your instructor for clarification on the disposal of used supplies.