Hazardous Waste Procedures | Friday Harbor Laboratories

Every individual at FHL is responsible for labeling, logging, and depositing the hazardous chemical wastes they generate. Please make every effort to minimize the production of such wastes, as their transport and disposal off island is very costly. It is even more costly if the wastes are unidentified – so be sure to properly label them. Also, some hazardous chemicals can be specially treated to render them safe, but not if they have been mixed with other wastes! As long as researchers follow the procedures below, FHL will cover the expense of disposal. If these procedures are not followed, FHL may charge the researcher for any extra expense incurred.

Questions? Contact Stockroom Manager Peggy Combs: peggysc6@uw.edu, 206-616-0697

1. Label a Container for Your Wastes Before Generating Them – a separate container for each type of waste.

Fill out a UW Hazardous Waste sticker, available in most FHL lab buildings and the Stockroom. Enter the information shown in the image to the left except for End Date and Volume. List all chemical components and their estimated percentages (which must add up to 100%). NOTE: WATER IS A CHEMICAL. If your solution includes fresh or salt water, it must be listed on the label. For Building, enter COMPUTER LAB. For Room, enter CL-103 (the room in the Computer Lab building where you will ultimately deposit the wastes). Include your cell number, so you can be reached for questions.

Affix the sticker to an empty jar or bottle with a screw cap lid that seals. If your container is larger than 4 liters, also affix a Primary Hazard label, available in the Stockroom.

Put only one type of waste in your container! Do not mix chemicals in the process of accumulating your wastes. For example, if you have ethanol to dispose of from one jar and formalin from another jar, pour them into separate waste containers that are each properly labeled.

If you are disposing of a chemical that is still in its original container (e.g., if it has expired), and the container has its original label with all necessary information, you do not need to create a separate hazardous waste label.

When the container is full or you are departing FHL, add the end date & total volume and unless the container holds only formalin waste, proceed to Step 2. FOR FORMALIN ONLY, SKIP TO STEP 3.

2. Log the Wastes Online for Pickup by UW

Before depositing your container, you must request a pickup of any (non-formalin) wastes with UW here: https://webapps.ehs.washington.edu/chemwaste/index.php.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Logging Wastes

Log on with your UW NetID. *If you do not have a NetID, use the NetID “fhlguest.” The pw is the same as the FHL wifi pw.

Enter General Information for your Request

Enter your name and your cell number.
For Supervisor, enter the PI of the lab you are working in, the instructor of your class/apprenticeship, or your REU mentor if applicable.
For Box no., enter 351812
For Building & Room (where UW will find the wastes for pickup), enter COMPUTER LAB and CL-103.
Enter your email, the date, & your UW NetID (use “fhlguest” if you don’t have one).
For Department, enter FRIDAY HABOR LABS.
Hit “Create Request” to proceed to entering your waste containers.

Enter Each Waste Container

Choose the Type (plastic, glass, cardboard, etc.).
For Quantity, enter 1 unless you have more than one of the same type of container with identical chemical contents (e.g. 2 plastic bottles of 95% EtOH + 5% H20).
Enter the Total Volume of waste in the container(s). Be accurate.
Select the volume Units and then press “Add Container”.
Now for that container you just added, click on “List Chemical” to proceed to the page for entering the contents of the container.

Enter Chemical information for each Container

Important: chemicals listed and their percents must match what is written on the Hazardous Waste Sticker!

Type in a chemical name and the percent of that chemical, then click “Add Chemical.”
Do this for every chemical in the waste container until you reach 100%. You will not be able to move forward if 100% of the waste volume is not accounted for. NOTE: water is a chemical. If your solution is in fresh or salt water, you must list the water.
When you are done, a red “Done” will appear at the bottom. Click it.

Repeat for all Containers and Submit Request

You will be brought back to the original screen, if you have no more waste to add click “Next.” If you have more wastes to add, repeat the above steps.
After you click “Next”, you will be brought to a final overview page.
You should see a “Submit Request” button at the bottom of the screen, click that and you are done!

3. Deposit the Wastes

Unless the wastes are pure formalin (formaldehyde + water), bring the sealed waste container to CL-103, the room next to the Student Shop in the basement of the Computer Lab building. On your right as you enter, you will see gray plastic tubs. Please leave your containers in one of those.

If you have a container of formalin-only waste, bring it to the Formalin Waste Shed.

The shed is outside of the entrance to CL-103, on your right as you face that entrance. Pour your wastes into the large formalin waste barrel in the shed. Then deposit your empty, formalin-contaminated containers in one of the wooden “F-ware” cabinets in C-103. Note that formalin is highly toxic to certain organisms, especially embryos, so any ware that has been in contact with formalin is forever “F” and should be kept with other F-ware.