The safe management and disposal of wastes including hazardous wastes, and other chemical and biological waste streams require special training and procedures to be accomplished safely and in conformance with numerous federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The BSU Waste Management Guide outlines procedures for the identification, classification, storage, and handling of such wastes generated by laboratories and shops, as well as a number of other departments involved in research, art, photography, printing, vocational studies, and other activities that may generate such waste materials. Particular procedures for the handling of laboratory wastes are provided in the BSU Laboratory Waste Management Plan and overall laboratory waste management is described in the related Laboratory Waste Management training document.
Hazardous chemicals are not allowed to be disposed of in the drains (without EHS and Muncie Sanitary District approval), in the trash, or by evaporation. The document, Disposal of Laboratory Wastes: Requirements for Chemical Disposal to Sinks and Drains provides guidance on allowable and prohibited wastewater discharges. All chemical waste is required to be held in the generating location (this location is defined as a "Satellite Accumulation Area") for subsequent pick-up and disposal by EHS and an approved waste disposal vendor. Some wastes may be relocated by EHS staff to one of two hazardous waste accumulation areas maintained by the University for secure storage pending removal by the approved waste disposal vendor.
These hazardous and other chemical or material wastes, not suitable or destined for landfill disposal as normal refuse, are gathered for disposal on a quarterly basis following an announcement to all departments known to generate such wastes. These wastes may also be picked up at other times from campus locations or departments as needed and accumulated for subsequent disposal.
Other materials such as infectious wastes (red bags) or sharps containers can also be picked up for safe interim storage pending disposal as they are generated.