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Pails are available for purchase at both the º£½ÇÉçÇø Chemistry and Biochemistry Stores.

The º£½ÇÉçÇø’s biomedical waste service provider (GM Pearson) has recently issued new requirements for safe disposal of biohazardous waste that cannot be autoclaved, including changes to waste containers and contents. 

Note that the preferred method for biohazardous waste disposal is autoclaving. If this is not possible, the new requirements for safety disposal of biohazardous waste are described below.

1. Materials for packaging

There are new requirements for biohazardous waste bags and pails as follows:

1. Biohazard bags have changed from yellow to red. Labs may use up their stock of yellow bags. Bags will continue to be provided by HSE.
2. Biohazard pails are also changing from yellow to red. HSE will accept yellow pails in the interim, but once you use up your stock of yellow pails, please switch to red. Pails are available for purchase at both the º£½ÇÉçÇø Chemistry and Biochemistry Stores.

2. Storage of liquid waste

There are also new requirements for how to prepare and store biohazardous liquid waste as follows:

• Liquid waste must be solidified using a solidifying agent (also available at º£½ÇÉçÇø Chemistry and Biochemistry Stores).
• Pails must be no more than half full of liquid waste. 
• Formaldehyde must be decanted and disposed of separately as chemical waste. Trace amounts are still acceptable (i.e., the biohazardous solids do not need to be completely dry).

To avoid disruptions to waste pickup, all university laboratories that generate biohazardous waste should implement the new storage requirements and phase in new waste container requirements as soon as possible.

For more information about hazardous waste requirements at the º£½ÇÉçÇø, refer to the Hazardous Waste Pickup + Disposal webpage or contact hse.info@ualberta.ca.