The DEHS Regulated Waste Division provides chemical waste pickup and disposal services at no cost to University of Minnesota departments. To have chemical waste picked up from your work area, follow the chemical waste pickup procedures listed below:
Figure 1: Properly Stored Chemical Waste Chemical waste must be placed in an appropriate container and kept closed at all times except when adding or removing waste. Liquid waste containers must be stored in secondary containment (e.g., tub, tray, bucket) as illustrated in Figure 1.
- Chemical waste containers must be labeled with the words “Hazardous Waste,” an accurate description of the waste, the primary hazard(s) associated with the waste, and a start date. Waste descriptions must be accurate, comprehensive, and include all regulated constituents as defined in Chapter 8.2.2, Table A, and Table B of the Chemical Waste Guidelines. Any constituent in concentration of less than 1% must be listed as "trace" quantity. Non-regulated constituents in high concentration such as water must also be included in the description (i.e., Water 50%, Acetonitrile 40%, Methanol 10%, Acetic Acid trace, Formic Acid trace). HSRM recommends that the label illustrated in Figure 2 be used (contact DEHS to receive these labels free of charge).
- Submit waste using Chematix, which is the University of Minnesota’s online chemical waste pickup system. Visit the CHEMATIX homepage linked below and click the “Waste” tab for detailed submission instructions.
Chematix Online Hazardous Waste Pickup Request
Unknown Chemical Waste Disposal Procedures
If you have an unknown chemical in your area, complete the online form linked below. Once submitted, DEHS will come to your location to pick up the unknown chemical and properly identify it.
Unknown Chemical Identification Request Form
Sink and Trash Disposal Procedures
No chemical waste should be poured down the drain or discarded in the trash unless it is certain that doing so does not violate waste disposal regulations. In order to ensure improper disposal does not occur, please contact HSRM ([email protected]) to seek permission to dispose of nonhazardous chemical waste in the sink or trash. In the permission request, please include the following information:
- Full chemical name(s) that you are requesting to dispose of
- Volume to be disposed of
- Whether it is a one-time request or ongoing disposal (i.e., once/week)
- Location where disposal will occur
If you have questions, contact DEHS at 612-626-1604 or [email protected].