If you have lab equipment that is in good condition it may be possible to sell it using UniGreenScheme. We aim to sell and reuse equipment where possible before treating it as waste. For all other wastes refer to the hazardous waste guidelines for details on how to dispose of biological, chemical, clinical, and radioactive waste.

• Cans and tins
• Clean glass and pyrex
• Clean plastic
• Glass or plastic bottles that have contained organic solvents
• 'Safebreak' bottles
• Broken glass
• Polystyrene
• Electrical equipment

Cans and tins

Once clean and free of all potentially hazardous material, follow the guidance for kitchen cans and tins.

Clean glass and pyrex

Before recycling glass on-site, please see if your supplier is able to accept returns of used glassware.

If not, ensure that:

• bottles are empty and contain no hazardous residues or contamination;
• all hazard warning labels, marks and symbols are defaced (the label doesn’t need to be fully removed);
• bottle caps, stoppers, corks and other non-glass items are removed;
• glass pipette tips are disposed of as ‘sharps’;
• no other materials are placed in the glass recycling bins;
• you always follow lab health and safety procedures.

Then follow the glass recycling processes, placing it into the mixed glass recycling bins.

Waste Pyrex has a different composition to glass and contaminates glass collections, so please don’t put it in with your glass recycling. Contact us to set up a collection schedule: we’ll provide you with a specific caddy and then collect your broken and waste Pyrex.

Clean plastic

Before recycling plastic on-site, please see if your supplier is able to accept returns of used plastics.

If not, ensure that:

• bottles are empty and contain no hazardous residues or contamination;
• all hazard warning labels, marks and symbols are defaced (the label doesn’t need to be fully removed);
• bottle caps, stoppers, corks and other non-glass items are removed;
• no other materials are placed in the plastic recycling bins.

Then follow the plastic recycling processes, placing it into the mixed plastic recycling bins.

Glass or plastic bottles that have contained organic solvents

Bottles containing any permanent residues or drying agents (e.g. sodium wire) MUST NOT be disposed of by recycling, and must be removed, without washing, as chemical waste through the Health and Safety Office (0117 928 9080).

Otherwise:

• Dispose of any solvent residue in an appropriate solvent waste drum.
• If the solvent was water-soluble, wash the bottle out with water. Fill the bottle to the brim with water (to drive out the vapour) and pour down the drain.
• Cross out the label with a black marker pen.
• Dispose of the bottle in the mixed glass recycling bin or the plastic recycling bin.

Glass or plastic bottles that have contained other chemicals

If bottles are not completely empty, have contained water-reactive chemicals, or if they would be unsafe to handle, dispose of them - without washing - as hazardous waste.

Otherwise:

• dispose of the cap as general landfill
• wash the bottle thoroughly in water
• cross out the label with a black marker pen
• dispose of the bottle in the mixed glass recycling bin or the plastic recycling bin.

'Safebreak' bottles

These bottles contain a plastic lining/coating and so cannot be recycled. Dispose of them, without washing, as hazardous waste.

Broken glass

Ensure you have made the glass safe from a biological, chemical, or radioactive point of view. Then carefully wrap it in paper and dispose of in general waste bins, not recycling.

Polystyrene

Follow the polystyrene guidelines for details on how to dispose of clean lab polystyrene.

Electrical equipment, including computers and fridges/freezers

If any electrical equipment from labs or other hazardous areas has been exposed to biological or chemical materials or radioactivity, it needs to be assessed and then cleared as non-contaminated, please use the decontamination form. Once a permit has been issued, attach this and follow the WEEE disposal guidelines as normal.