STORAGE/DISPOSAL > Overview

The generation, storage and disposal of waste is one of the most challenging environmental regulatory compliance issues facing laboratories. Compared to many industrial facilities, academic labs tend to produce smaller amounts of a wider variety of waste types. Wastes must be collected, classified, labelled, stored, and disposed of in accordance with regulations.

Given that most university facilities do not themselves transport hazardous waste to an off-site hazardous waste disposal facility, treat hazardous waste, or operate a hazardous waste disposal facility, the regulations governing these activities are not addressed in the EVC. More typically, your facility would generate, store the solid waste, hazardous waste - and, in some cases, biological waste, radioactive and mixed waste, and then have a contractor transport the waste off site for disposal. The specific hazardous waste management requirements a facility must follow depend on the types of waste it produces.

Continue on through the expanded section of this EVC activity to learn more about waste determination.