Non-hazardous, non-infectious, and non-medical sharps (e.g., broken or unbroken uncontaminated materials, such as glass containers or slides, serological pipets, micropipette tips, etc.) should be placed in a designated box made of cardboard, plastic, or other rigid material and taped up when full for disposal into a dumpster. The box is a requirement to protect custodial staff or anyone else handling these items on their way to the dumpster. Any materials that have contained or contacted infectious or biohazardous materials (see #3 below) must be decontaminated before disposal into regular trash; once properly decontaminated (see below), those items are no longer hazardous. Contaminated and uncontaminated non-medical sharps should not be mixed.

Medical sharps (e.g., needles, syringes, razor blades, etc.) must be put into a rigid, leakproof, sharps container for disposal via a medical waste contractor (e.g., Veolia, Stericycle, or other). Repurposed containers such as bleach bottles, Tupperware, etc. are not acceptable for medical sharp containment. Medical sharps include unused sharps and sharps that have contacted non-hazardous materials. For example, needles/syringes used to transfer sterile water are considered medical sharps, as well as unused needles.

• Human tissues
• Human blood or other bodily fluids (pourable, drip-able, squeezable amounts)
• Infectious animal parts, tissues, and fluids that contain risk group 2 (RG-2) infectious agents
• Clinical microbial cultures and other clinical samples
• Samples or cultures of any RG-2 agents (microbes, toxins, etc.) capable of causing human disease
• Materials or reagents that have contacted RG-2 agents
• Genetically modified cell lines, microbes, animals, or plants
• Microbial cultures or tissues thought to contain agents that pose a threat to animals or plants (USDA-regulated agents)
• General microbiological lab culture waste including live cultures of microbes even if they are not considered infectious agents (e.g., RG-1 microbes), which includes unused but contaminated solid microbiological media.

Up to 15 pounds of animal tissue may be disposed of into a single dumpster. Tissues must be double-bagged in 4-mil bags with each bag tied. Please work with building managers to ensure there are no more than 15 pounds of animal tissue in any dumpster at any given time. Tissue may be temporarily stored in a freezer if the 15 pounds per dumpster limit will be exceeded by the addition of more tissue.

1. Place tissue into a 4-mil bag.
2. Tie bag.
3. Place tied bag containing tissue into the second 4-mil bag.
4. Tie the second bag and place it in the dumpster.

Disposal of preserved specimens:

1. Formalin-preserved specimens
• Consult chemical hygiene officer for best disposal practices.
2. Alcohol-preserved specimens (or other “environmentally friendly” preservatives).
• Dry tissues in a fume hood.
• Autoclave tissues only if infectious agents are suspected to be present.
• Double bag tissues and place in the dumpster as described above if 15 pounds or less.
• Freeze tissues and transfer to the animal waste contractor if more than 15 pounds.

Regular trash includes all standard wastes that are not covered in #1-4 above. This includes materials that do not contain infectious agents or sharps material, paper towels used for drying hands or decontaminating benchtops, packaging materials, plastics containing residual chemicals (bottles, centrifuge tubes, etc.), unused solid microbiological media containing no growth, and other materials that do not fall within the categories described above. Materials containing liquids (other than residual amounts) should not be placed into the regular trash. Any pourable, drip-able, or squeezable volumes of liquid should be disposed of down the drain if it is a non-halogenated chemical or transferred to a proper waste container if it is a halogenated chemical.

1. Any faculty, staff, or student that will use the autoclave for the purpose of preparing sterile materials or waste decontamination must be instructed on the proper use of the autoclave by the building manager or personnel designated by the building manager.
   
2. Any infectious or potentially infectious material generated must be sterilized in an autoclave prior to disposal into dumpsters.
3. Autoclaves should be maintained in good working order by building managers.
• Building managers or personnel designated by a building manager should ensure autoclaves are reaching appropriate temperatures WEEKLY by using a biological test (e.g., ProSpore, B/T Sure, etc.) with appropriate controls (following manufacturer’s protocol).
• If biological tests return positive results, the autoclave will be taken offline until proper functionality is restored.
• The building manger or designated personnel will keep a record of biological test results.
4. Chemical (e.g., autoclave tape) and mechanical (e.g., autoclave gauges) verifications of autoclave function are recommended for each sterilization cycle but are not acceptable substitutes for weekly spore tests.
5. Any waste materials known or suspected to contain RG-2 or higher agents must include a spore test during each sterilization cycle (following manufacturer’s protocol).
• A successful weekly spore test is not a substitute for this requirement.
• Use of autoclave tape or other chemical or mechanical observation of temperature is not a substitute for this requirement.
• If a spore test result is positive following attempted sterilization of RG-2 materials, the waste must be re-sterilized including another spore test and with a longer sterilization time. The sterilization must be repeated until spore tests return negative results.