Regulated Waste FAQs

Equipment must be collected as universal waste if the equipment contains circuit boards or computer components and it was used to store or transfer data or if the equipment was used for entertainment purposes such as a television, radio or cell phone.

Regular alkaline batteries no longer contain mercury and can be safely disposed of in the normal trash. As of April 2009, changes to the shipping regulations require that each battery being transported for recycling must be placed in its own plastic bag or taped on each end prior to pick up. Because of this change, EHS has discontinued its collection bucket program. Alkaline batteries can either go in the normal trash or be collected for removal through EHS. If collected through EHS, the alkaline batteries must be taped or bagged. All other batteries must be recycled. These include lead acid, lithium, rechargeable and button batteries. These batteries cannot be discarded in the normal trash. Batteries will not be removed unless packaged in accordance with these requirements. To request removal by EHS, submit an online chemical waste pickup request.

Fluorescent lights and the ballast boxes found in the light fixtures cannot go in the normal trash. This also includes the UV lamps found in the biosafety cabinets. To have the fluorescent or UV lights and/or ballast boxes removed, please complete a Universal Waste Pickup Request. If you find them in trash containers or in areas where they need to be removed, please call 203-432-6545 and EHS will arrange for their proper disposal.

You can easily recycle your empty toner cartridges by scheduling a pickup with W.B. Mason or by simply handing them off upon your next delivery. Contact W.B. Mason at 888-926-2766 or via email at customeryale@wbmason.com.

Needleboxes can be picked up free of charge from the KBT stockroom, 350 Edwards Chemistry stockroom, SHM stockroom or West Campus Resource Center stockroom.

Most of the autoclave rooms in the medical school will have the boxes and bags. You are free to take some from any of these areas. EHS restocks each autoclave room once every five working days.

Call 203-432-6545 and someone will remove your cart as soon as possible and replace it with an empty cart. Please do not leave waste on the floor or stack on top of the full cart.

Empty containers that previously held an acute hazardous waste chemical require special handling. For these materials, the container is considered empty if it has been triple-rinsed using a suitable solvent and all of the rinsate has been collected for disposal as hazardous waste. If the container is not first cleaned as stated above, it is hazardous waste and must be disposed as such.

Empty containers that did not previously hold an acute hazardous waste chemical, but previously held a chemical prohibited from drain disposal by the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protections (Appendix F of the Management of Hazardous Waste Procedure) shall be sufficiently rinsed with water to remove any residue and the rinsate collected for disposal as hazardous waste. After rinsing the container, the label must be defaced by either removing it, spray painting over it, or covering it with a bold marker, and the container placed into the normal trash.

Other empty containers shall be sufficiently rinsed with water to remove any residue, the rinsate drain disposed, the labels defaced, and placed into the normal trash.

Normal trash glass bottles shall be placed in a plastic bag and put into any cardboard box. The box shall be sealed and the words “Broken Glass” written on the top. It can then be placed with your normal trash for removal by custodial services.

All biological and chemical waste tags can be found in either the SHM, KBT or West Campus Resource Center stockrooms. All radioactive waste requests are submitted through EHS Integrator. When you submit a request, the system automatically generates a completed waste tag to attach to waste containers.

EHS only supplies five-gallon plastic carboys for waste that can be poured off into a drum. This includes solvents or water mixtures.

Yes. Visit the Eli Surplus Exchange portal and browse the current list of chemicals available free of charge or upload your chemical information and picture directly to the site.

For dry waste, we pick up the bags inside the boxes. We then replace the bags. For liquid waste, we will pick up and replace the whole container (one or five gallon only). For LSV waste, we pick up and replace the drums. For stock vial waste, we pick up the packaged box of stock vials.

Yes. The dry and LSV waste must be segregated by half-life. Liquid waste must be segregated by isotope.

The Radiation Safety Manual is a great reference to the types of shielding required for your specific isotopes. You can also ask your Safety Advisor.

The telephone number is 203-432-6545. Please use this number for inquiries only.