Empty Chemical Reagent Containers — Disposal

EH&S has details about some containers that should not be reused for chemical waste:
http://www.ehs.pitt.edu/assets/docs/empty–chem–disposal.pdf  E.g., Ethers and other peroxide forming chemicals.

I recommend that containers you would otherwise be able to throw away should be kept for collecting chemical waste.  I do not recommend reusing metal cans especially not for acidic or basic solutions, as the metal containers may corrode.  (JCJ)

If the original container is in good condition, consider reusing the container to collect compatible chemical waste. If the chemical is not on the list of Acutely Hazardous Wastes per the University Guideline, the container should be triple rinsed with water or solvent in some cases in order to remove the chemical. After rinsing the container it should be air dried. Using a permanent marker, deface the original label and write “EMPTY” on the label. Metal containers can be disposed through the regular lab trash stream. EH&S recommends not disposing of more than 1 or 2 metal 5-gallon containers at a time. If you have a large amount of 5-gallon metal containers that need to be disposed (10+), please contact EH&S (412-624-9505 safety@ehs.pitt.edu) to arrange for space in the chemical waste vault.  (EHS Specialist)

2021 April