Autoclave Bags/Biohazardous Waste Disposal
Procedure for Research and Teaching Laboratories
If your research or teaching activities generate waste that is autoclaved, please
- Place all biohazardous waste to be autoclaved in a red or orange bag.
- Prior to autoclaving, crisscross the bag's biohazard symbol and/or markings with heat sensitive autoclave tape, which is available from Fisher Scientific (SP54490) and other safety supply vendors.
- Alternatively, mark the autoclaved bag with an "Autoclaved/Decontaminated" sticker prior to disposal in the normal trash. These stickers are available from the Department of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS): 2-5507.
Orange County Landfill workers look for the tape or sticker to confirm that the waste has been properly treated. If the tape or sticker is not present, Landfill Operators may hold or reject the University's entire waste load. EHS staff have had to retrieve waste bags at the landfill, which is expensive and difficult. This problem may jeopardize our future access to the landfill for this waste. To prevent undue disruption and higher disposal costs, we need your cooperation to properly treat, package and mark biohazardous waste.
If you place autoclaved biohazardous waste bags into a larger overpack bag, mark the overpack bag with an "Autoclaved/Decontaminated" sticker, available from the Department of Environment, Health and Safety.
Because they are more visible, heat-sensitive tape or a sticker is required even if you use biohazardous waste bags that change to reveal the word "autoclaved" after autoclaving.
Do not use red or orange bags for any other waste.
Biohazardous waste is waste that contains infectious agents, blood or body fluids, including waste from research and teaching activities covered by biohazard levels 1, 2, or 3, or plant biohazard levels 1, 2, or 3. Appendix 15-A of the UNC-CH Biological Safety Manual explains the identification and disposal of biohazardous waste in detail.
A different procedure is used to manage biohazardous waste from patient care areas.
For information about University biohazard waste disposal policies and procedures, contact Donii Fox.