Washington State University
SAFETY POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

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Disposal of Glass Waste

University personnel who dispose of glass are responsible for following procedures in this section. Appropriate disposal of glass minimizes hazards to laboratory workers, custodians, and solid waste disposal employees.

Custodians and solid waste disposal employees are not required to dispose of any glass which is not placed in containers as described in this section.

This procedure applies to the disposal of all WSU glass materials except glass materials managed by WSU Recycling (i.e., glass bottles and jars placed in designated recycling receptacles).

Noncontaminated glass waste is to be placed in appropriate containers and disposed of as follows. (See below for disposal of glass which is contaminated by radiation, acutely hazardous chemicals, or biologically hazardous material.)

The total weight of a glass disposal box ready for removal by custodians may not exceed 40 pounds. This limit includes both the weight of the glass and the weight of the container.

All boxes containing waste glass must be designed and maintained so they can be handled easily and safely by laboratory, custodial, and solid waste collection personnel. There must be no failure of the integrity of the container during transport which could expose laboratory or service personnel to cutting or puncture hazards.

Custodial or solid waste disposal employees are not required to handle any waste glass container which could rupture during handling.

Place waste glass materials in one of the following types of containers:

• A plastic disposal container with a plastic liner commercially designed for glass disposal, or


• A galvanized metal container having an inner liner of a disposable cardboard box. (A plastic liner may be used instead of the cardboard box if the metal container is leakproof.)

The department or laboratory generating glass wastes is responsible for purchasing or otherwise obtaining disposal containers.

Commercially-made plastic disposal containers and liners are available from University Stores. The 10-gallon containers come with a lid and a plastic liner. Request item number 54190. For refill liners request item number 51670.

The plastic containers are labeled, "Glass Waste."

Print the building and room number on the outside of the plastic container.

Place the plastic liner bag inside the plastic container.

After the liner is filled, close the liner bag with a twist tie and shut the container lid.

Notify the custodian that the container is ready for disposal.

The custodian removes the disposal container and dumps the filled plastic liner into the building dumpster. The custodian does not directly handle the liner. The custodian returns the plastic disposal container to the indicated building and room.

Place a new plastic liner inside the plastic container.

Metal containers are available for purchase through the Facilities Operations Sheet Metal Shop. The generating department or laboratory obtains and installs interior cardboard liner boxes or plastic liners.

Label the metal container "Glass Waste." Also enter building name and room number on the label.

Place a plastic liner or clean, cardboard box inside the metal container.

When the box is full of glass, close and tape shut the top of the cardboard inner box (or close the plastic liner bag with a twist tie) and notify the custodian that the box is to be emptied. The custodian removes the metal box and dumps the interior cardboard box or plastic liner bag whole into the dumpster.

The custodian returns the metal box to the building and room indicated on the label.

Place a new interior plastic liner bag or cardboard box inside the metal box.

If glass is disposed of by laboratory employees, a disposal procedure is to be placed in the Laboratory Safety Manual. The procedure must include:

• A description of the labeling placed on disposal containers. At minimum, a container label indicates that the box contains noncontaminated waste glass and shows building and room number.


• A description of how the glass waste is to be packed in order to prevent injury to laboratory workers who transport waste to the building dumpster,
  


• A description of how the container is closed or secured (i.e., taped shut), so that loose glass shards do not injure workers,


• A description of the personal protective equipment and specific safety practices (e.g., back injury prevention training for lifting heavy objects) used by laboratory employees who transport the glass waste, and


• A description of the actions laboratory employees take if injury occurs.

Process contaminated glass waste in the same manner as other contaminated materials. Containers of contaminated glass are collected by trained employees from the Facilities Operations, Radiation Safety Office, or Environmental Health and Safety as appropriate.

Glass contaminated with ACUTELY HAZARDOUS chemicals must be triple rinsed and discarded as noncontaminated glass waste. The rinsate must be collected and managed as a hazardous chemical waste (see 5.66).

Glass contaminated with chemicals not designated as ACUTELY HAZARDOUS may be emptied as much as is reasonably possible and disposed of as noncontaminated glass waste.

Refer questions regarding chemically contaminated glass to Environmental Health Services. Telephone 335-3041.

Biologically contaminated glass waste is bagged, then placed in "biohazard" cardboard boxes available through University Stores. These biohazard boxes are equipped with a proper warning symbol and a label which must be filled out, indicating "biohazard contaminated glass waste." See 4.24 for more about disposal of biohazards.

Note: Syringes and needles are managed according to the requirements of a separate policy and procedure. See 4.25. Biologically contaminated glass waste is collected at the same locations as sharps containers. Refer to 4.25 for a list of collection locations for sharps containers.

Refer questions regarding biologically contaminated glass to Environmental Health Services. Telephone 335-3041.

Place glass contaminated by radioactive materials in a plastic-lined cardboard box which is labeled for radiation hazards. See also 9.60.

Refer questions regarding radiation contaminated glass to the Radiation Safety Office. Telephone 335-8016.