EMPTY CONTAINERS

Guidance on proper disposal of containers of chemical waste.

• What to do with empty containers

  Containers with less than 3% of their contents that are not contaminated with infectious material or do not contain a P-listed material, such as stock bottles, laboratory glassware, and plasticware must be triple rinsed prior to disposal.

  • Laboratory glassware or plasticware contaminated with biological material must be disposed of as Regulated Medical Waste (RMW).
  • P-listed material, even when empty, must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
  • Sample vials with small amounts of chemicals must be collected as hazardous waste if it's unable to be rinsed.
• Triple rinse process

  After removing as much product as possible, your empty chemical container may be rinsed and disposed of or reused to store waste by following these steps:

  • Using a small amount of water rinse the inside of the container. If the material is not water soluble, triple rinsing is not allowed (label the container as hazardous waste if you cannot triple rinse it). 
  • Rinse must be collected as hazardous waste of the original waste content and you may combine compatible wastes into one waste container.
  • Repeat this step two more times for a total of three rinses.
  • When the container is empty and ready to be discarded, deface the container’s label (example below) and clearly write "Empty" and/or “Triple Rinsed".

  
  
  Reuse of Empty or Triple Rinsed Containers
  Empty or triple rinsed containers may be reused for the collection of hazardous wastes, if:

  • The original container's contents are compatible with the waste that the container is being used for; and
  • The container is compatible with the waste contents; and
  • The container is in good working condition: no dents, cracks or corrosion.
• Empty P-listed material

  For all empty containers that previously held a P-listed material, do not triple rinse! These containers must be disposed of as hazardous waste, even if they’re empty. Contact hazwaste@stonybrook.edu for any questions regarding P-listed container disposal.

  Chemical name (common P-listed waste)	CAS number
  4-Aminopyridine	504-24-5
  Acrolein	107-02-8
  Allyl alcohol	107-18-6
  Arsenic compounds	Varies
  Beryllium powder	7440-41-7
  Cyanide salts (inorganic)	Varies
  Carbon disulfide	75-15-0
  Copper cyanide (Cu(CN))	544-92-3
  Cyanogen	460-19-5
  Cyanogen chloride	506-77-4
  2,4-Dinitrophenol	51-28-5
  Epinephrine	51-43-4
  Nicotine and salts	54-11-5
  Nitrous and Nitric oxide	10102-44-0, 10102-43-9
  Osmium tetroxide	20816-12-0
  Potassium cyanide (KCN)	151-50-8
  Propargyl alcohol	107-19-7
  Sodium azide	26628-22-8

   For a complete list of p-listed chemicals, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's website.

• Recycling and disposal of empty containers

  Plastic: Triple rinsed plastics other than #1 and #2 written in the universal recycling symbol (♻) must be disposed of in the trash. Town of Brookhaven does not recycle plastics other than #1 or #2.

  Glass: Triple rinsed glass containers must be disposed of in the trash if they’re not being reused.
  Glass containers that have been triple rinsed may be placed in garbage bags, corrugated cardboard boxes or "broken glass" boxes before being disposed of. Town of Brookhaven does not recycle glass and glassware in recycling containers will not be accepted.

  Under no circumstances are containers labeled with the international radioactive symbol, biohazard symbol, or with the words "Hazardous Waste" allowed to be disposed of in the trash.