The University of North Texas is dedicated to handling all hazardous materials and
disposing of hazardous wastes in a fashion that protects our campus and surrounding
community. The university's faculty, staff, and students play a vital role in the
management of hazardous wastes at UNT. Proper waste management is dependent upon your
day-to-day handling of these wastes in your laboratories and worksites.
If you have questions regarding hazardous waste management, need a hazardous waste
pick up at UNT, or need additional resources, please review the drop down menu below.
Additional Questions?
This guidance is not meant to be comprehensive and handling hazardous waste can be
confusing at times. If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate
to contact our Environmental Health and Safety staff.
The EPA states: “Hazardous waste is waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful
to our health or the environment. Hazardous wastes can be liquids, solids, gases,
or sludge.” As such, here are a few basic guidelines:
- Disposal of waste chemicals in sink drains and/or regular trash receptacles is not appropriate. Risk Management should be consulted for determination of appropriate waste disposal.
- Waste should be treated as hazardous waste until proven otherwise.
- Reduce sources of waste when possible. This can be achieved by reducing the scale
of operations, only purchasing as much chemical is needed for a given operation, and
substituting less hazardous chemicals when possible.
- Reuse materials when operations allow.
- Be mindful of utilizing materials that can be recycled.
- Hazardous waste should be accumulated in an identified Satellite Accumulation Area
(SAA) at or near the point of generation and under the control of the laboratory or
shop worker that generated the waste. SAAs should be identified using this sign SAA Sign.
- SAAs are limited to no more than 55 gallons of hazardous waste or 1 quart of acutely
hazardous waste (Acutely Hazardous Waste document)
- All containers must be in sound condition, compatible with their contents, not leaking,
closed (except when adding waste), clean of spilled material, and handled/stored as
to prevent rupture or leakage.
- Hazardous waste containers should have secondary containment.
- It is critically important that only compatible wastes are placed into the same waste
container. A chemical compatibility chart can be found here (chemical compatibility chart)
In order to have hazardous waste picked up from your accumulation area, please submit
a Hazardous Materials Pickup Request using the link below. The form can be used to
pick up a single container or multiple containers of waste. Please complete the electronic
form in its entirety and outline the contents of each container as completely as possible.
Containers without proper labeling will not be picked up.
LAB CLEANOUT PROCEDURES (for requests involving 20+ original container bottles with no mixed chemicals)
- Complete the Lab Cleanout file with the list of chemicals involved in the cleanout.
- Send email directly to EHS@unt.edu, do not submit this Chemical Waste Pickup Request form. Email subject line: Lab Cleanout request
- All hazardous waste containers within a SAA must be labeled with a fully completed
“Hazardous Waste Label.” These labels can be downloaded here (hazardous waste label template) and printed on Avery 5164 shipping labels for your convenience.
- Be sure to list ALL components and their component concentrations within the hazardous
waste container. For example, if you are disposing of a chemical solution, be sure
to include both the solvent and the solute. Also include non-hazardous substances
such as water, paper, rags, etc. If the contents are unknown, please write “Unknown”
under the chemical composition box of the label and write “100” under the “%” column.
Estimating or approximating the chemical composition concentrations for each component
is acceptable.
Universal Waste
The following categories of waste are considered Universal Waste and have specific
labeling, storage, and handling requirements that ease the regulatory burden associated
with their accumulation.
- Batteries
- Pesticides
- Mercury-containing Equipment (ex: thermostats, lamps, thermometers)
- Lamps (ex: fluorescent lightbulbs)
- Paint and Paint-related Waste
If you manage these any of these types of wastes, please contact Environmental, Health & Safety for additional guidance. These materials must be handled as hazardous waste unless
managed properly.
Mixed Waste
Mixed waste contains both radioactive and hazardous waste components. As a result,
both treatment and regulation are complex. Contact Environmental, Health & Safety before generating mixed waste.
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