Hazardous Waste Labeling and Disposal

Most chemical waste must be collected as Hazardous Waste. Hazardous material may NOT be poured down the drain. If you are unsure if your waste is Hazardous Waste, contact the COTA Safety Office.  You may not keep a waste container in service longer than 6 months. If you have a full container or other Hazardous Waste for disposal, contact the COTA Safety Office. Waste pickup will be arranged. Disposal of waste by evaporation in the fume hood is forbidden.

ALL HAZARDOUS WASTE CONTAINERS MUST BE LABELED WITH THE STANDARD YELLOW CNSM HAZARDOUS WASTE LABELS! NEVER JUST WRITE "WASTE" ON ANY CONTAINER! Or "Waste Oil", "Waste Solvents", "Waste Acid", etc.! Extra labels are available from every Department office, and also from the COTA Safety Office.

Each hazardous waste label must be properly filled out; do not forget that the "Start Date" is the day the first drop goes in the bottle, or the day the material is declared "waste". Every effort should be made to identify the contents of any unlabeled waste; identification of waste chemicals by outside contractors (even if it proves to be detergent!) is extremely expensive.

Contact the COTA Safety Office for additional information or view the complete Hazardous Waste Collection Policy.