Hazardous Materials and Hazardous Waste

Hazardous materials are a necessary part of research and operation at Central Washington University. The handling, transportation, and disposal of these materials are strictly regulated by Federal and Washington State regulations and CWU policies. The Office of Environmental Health & Safety is charged with the responsibility of removing all hazardous materials, used and unused, from University facilities. EH&S provides guidance on how to properly package and label waste material. CWU is considered a "Large Quantity Generator" per the Department of Ecology, because of this the University is not allowed to "Treat On-Site". If you are doing so, you should stop immediately, and contact EH&S.

CWUR Hazardous Waste Procedure

Hazardous Waste

Chemicals must be in an appropriate container with the waste, with a securely fastened lid. As a rule, containers that were designed for solid reagents should not be used for liquids. Snap caps, such as those found on milk bottles, wrong-size caps, Parafilm®, or other loose-fitting lids or stoppers are not acceptable. Food containers, mason jars, sauce jars, and similar containers are also unacceptable. Do not use biohazard bags for chemically hazardous waste.

Preparing Chemical Waste for Disposal

All containers must be labeled with a “Hazardous Waste” or “Dangerous Waste” Label unless the container has the original manufacturer’s label on it already. The label must state all components of the waste and their percentages (percentages must add up to 100%), as well as the hazardous properties of the material, and the date that it is transferred from the satellite accumulation area to the primary hazardous waste area. Dangerous Waste labels can be printed.

Hazardous Waste Disposal Procedures

Laboratory Hazardous Waste Disposal Guidelines

Chemical Spill