Operational Practices to Minimize Hazardous Waste
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Centralize the purchasing of chemicals through one person in the lab.
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Take inventory of your chemicals regularly. Note the dates on the chemicals and dispose of any aging chemicals in a timely manner.
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Use all of your older chemicals before purchasing or opening new chemicals.
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Do experiments on as small a scale as is feasible, and periodically review procedures to see if the scale could be reduced.
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Prevent students from over-dispensing chemicals.
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Pre-weigh/pre-dispense chemicals that are needed for experimentation.
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Store stock chemicals in small nozzled bottles
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Prepare stock solutions prior to each experiment or on a regular periodic basis (for example, on every Monday) rather than keeping them constantly on the shelf.
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Accurately label all waste bottles.
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Detoxify or neutralize waste products if possible.
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Substitute instrumental methods for wet chemistry whenever possible.
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Purchase compressed gas cylinders or lecture bottles only from manufacturers who will accept the empty cylinders back.
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Avoid mixing wastes.
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Keep non-hazardous chemical waste separate from hazardous waste.
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Avoid experiments that produce waste that is both radioactive and chemically hazardous.
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Keep chemical waste separate from normal trash.
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