Biological Waste Guide
Laboratory Waste Disposal Guide
Safe handling and disposal of laboratory waste protects personnel, the environment, and the surrounding community. Always consult permits (APHIS, PPQ, CDC, etc.) held by your lab, and follow any more stringent protocols required for specific projects or materials. If unsure, contact EHS before disposal. All regulated medical waste must be disposed through the regulated medical waste pathway.
Regulated medical waste is waste generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals, or in related research or biologicals production, that contains materials infectious to humans including sharps in contact with infectious agents, cultures and stocks of human pathogens, human blood and pathological waste, and waste from animals inoculated with or known to harbor infectious agents.
Quick Reference Table
Find your item type in the left column, then follow the guidance for the type of contamination present. See definitions and special situations below.
| Type of Item: | Contamination Type (see definitions below): | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biohazards A | Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid (r/sNA) B | Other Biological C | Chemical D | Chemotherapeutics E | |
| Regulated Sharps: (Syringes with needles, scalpel blades, glass blood vials, glass Pasteur pipettes) | Red Sharps Container → RMW Bin | Puncture-Resistant Container → Chemical Waste¹ ⁴ | Yellow Sharps Container → RMW Bin | ||
| Other Sharps: (Serological pipettes, micropipette tips, swabs, sticks, glass slides, razor blades, syringes without needles) | Red Sharps Container → RMW Bin | Red Sharps Container → RMW Bin OR Puncture-Resistant Container, Autoclave → Regular Trash | Puncture-Resistant Container → Regular Trash¹ | Puncture-Resistant Container → Chemical waste¹ ⁴ | Yellow Sharps Container → RMW Bin |
| Disposable Non-Sharps: (Intact plasticware, gloves, gowns, paper towels, animal bedding) | Red Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin | Red Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin OR Clear Bag, Autoclave → Regular Trash | Clear Bag → Regular Trash | Yellow Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin | |
| Solid Biological Media: (Agar plates, solidified growth media, culture slabs)⁶ | Red Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin | Red Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin OR Autoclave → Regular Trash | Autoclave → Regular Trash | Consult hazardous waste manual or contact EHS | Yellow Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin |
| Plant Materials: (Plants, soil, potting media) | Red Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin | Red Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin OR Autoclave → Regular Trash or Compost⁷ | Regular Trash or Compost — if regulated, autoclave or inactivate before disposal. | Consult hazardous waste manual or contact EHS | Yellow Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin |
| Carcasses and Tissues: (Separate liquid waste; see formalin guidance below²) | Red Biohazard Bag → RMW or Designated Carcass Bin | Clear Bag → RMW or Designated Carcass Bin | Consult hazardous waste manual or contact EHS | Yellow Biohazard Bag → RMW Bin | |
| Liquid Waste: (Liquid media, cultures, body fluids) | Treat with disinfectant (e.g., 1:10 bleach dilution) or autoclave, then dispose down the drain with a large volume of water | Consult hazardous waste manual or contact EHS | |||
| Mixed Wastes: (Hazardous chemicals or radioactive material mixed with biohazard waste) | Consult the appropriate waste manual or contact EHS before generating such waste³ ⁵ | ||||
Definitions of Contamination Types
A — Biohazards: Contains or is potentially contaminated with human infectious agents, viral vectors, biologically derived toxins, human blood, body fluids, or animal tissues.
B — Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid (r/sNA): Recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids, genetically modified organisms. If infectious, refer to Biohazards A.
C — Other Biological: Non-infectious to humans or animals; includes environmental microorganisms and plant tissue cultures. For chemical contamination, refer to the Chemical column.
D — Chemical: Disposable items contaminated with residual non-acutely toxic chemicals (e.g., ethanol, acetonitrile). Consult EHS for acutely toxic materials.
E — Chemotherapeutics: Items contaminated with residual chemotherapeutics, hormones, carcinogens, or synthetic analogs.
Special Situations
Sharps: Container Requirements
All sharps must be placed in rigid, puncture-resistant, leak-proof containers before disposal to protect waste handlers from injury. This applies regardless of contamination type, including items with chemical-only contamination such as pipette tips and serological pipettes.
For sharps that are regulated medical waste, this requirement is established under 10 NYCRR Part 70. For sharps with no biological component, hard-sided containment is an institutional safety requirement.
Serological pipettes that are not collected in a hard-sided container must be bundled securely to prevent puncturing trash bags. Do not place loose sharps in bags or open trash receptacles.
Solid Biological Media: Agar Disposal
Spent agar plates and solidified media must not be disposed of down drains, even when molten or reheated to liquid state. Liquid agar solidifies in drain traps and lines, causing blockages, and drain disposal is not appropriate for any media that has supported biological growth. Allow molten agar to solidify, then manage as solid biological waste per the table above.
Chemical Waste: Dilute Solutions vs. Concentrated Stock
The correct waste stream for solid items depends on the concentration of chemical they contacted.
- Working-concentration solutions: Solid items such as pipette tips and empty tubes that contacted only working-concentration hazardous chemical solutions may be disposed in a puncture-resistant container to regular trash. Residual chemical mass on emptied containers at working concentrations is considered de minimis under 40 CFR 261.7.
- Concentrated stock solutions: Solid items that directly contacted concentrated stock solutions must be collected as solid chemical waste.
- Liquid waste at any concentration: Liquid waste containing hazardous chemicals must always be collected as chemical waste regardless of concentration or volume. Consolidate waste from a dilution series into a single labeled container for pickup rather than submitting individual tubes separately.
When in doubt about which category applies, contact EHS.
Carcasses and Tissues: Liquid Separation
Liquids from carcasses (e.g., formalin) must be decanted and disposed of separately as chemical waste. Ensure carcasses are free from hazardous liquids before placing in a carcass bin or RMW container.
Biological Toxins and Select Agents
Biological toxins (e.g., cholera toxin) must be collected in designated containers. Contact EHS for disposal information, and follow federal guidelines for toxins classified as select agents.
Notes
¹ All sharps must be placed in rigid, puncture-resistant, leak-proof containers prior to disposal to protect waste handlers from injury. For sharps that are regulated medical waste, this requirement is established under 10 NYCRR Part 70. For sharps with no biological component, hard-sided containment is an institutional safety requirement. This applies to micropipette tips, plastic serological pipettes, and similar items regardless of contamination type. Serological pipettes that are not collected in a hard-sided container must be bundled securely to prevent puncture of trash bags. Do not place loose sharps in bags or open trash receptacles.
² Liquids from carcasses (e.g., formalin) must be decanted and disposed of separately as chemical waste. Ensure carcasses are free from hazardous liquids before disposal.
³ Biological toxins (e.g., cholera toxin) must be collected in designated containers. Contact EHS for disposal information, and follow federal guidelines for toxins classified as select agents.
⁴ The applicable waste stream depends on the concentration of chemical present. Solid items (e.g., pipette tips, empty tubes) that contacted only working-concentration solutions of hazardous chemicals may be disposed as described above, as residual chemical mass on emptied containers is considered de minimis under 40 CFR 261.7. Items that directly contacted concentrated stock solutions must be collected as solid chemical waste. When in doubt, contact EHS. Liquid waste containing hazardous chemicals must be collected as chemical waste regardless of concentration or volume; consolidate waste from a dilution series into a single labeled container for pickup rather than submitting individual tubes separately.
⁵ USDA Agricultural Research Service laboratories located on Cornell's campus operate under USDA biorisk management policy (DR-4400-007), which requires that organisms capable of causing agricultural or economic harm — including plant pathogens and foreign animal disease agents — be treated as biohazardous. Personnel in USDA ARS facilities on campus should apply the Biohazards A column to such materials in addition to any more stringent requirements established by their location biosafety officer or applicable USDA standard operating procedures. Contact EHS at AskEHS@cornell.edu if you are unsure whether this applies to your work.
⁶ Do not dispose of agar or solidified growth media down drains, including when molten. Liquid agar solidifies in drain lines and causes blockages. Allow molten agar to solidify before bagging for disposal.
⁷ For transgenic plant material, APHIS permit conditions take precedence over this guidance and may specify additional or different disposal requirements. Autoclave followed by trash or composting is the standard pathway for large-volume transgenic plant waste where RMW disposal is not operationally practicable. Consult your permit conditions or contact EHS if you are unsure which pathway applies.
Contact and Pickup
For disposal questions, contact EHS at (607) 255-8200 or AskEHS@cornell.edu. To schedule a hazardous waste pickup, visit ehs.cornell.edu/waste-pickups.