Solid Biological and Pathological Waste
Summary
How to collect and dispose of solid biological and pathological waste.
Who is this for?
All students, faculty, and staff who manage or dispose of biological waste.
Managing solid biological waste
Follow solid biological waste and pathological waste disposal procedures to help protect yourself and others from exposure risks.
Always dispose of pathological waste in cardboard biological waste boxes labeled with the words “Pathological Waste” and “Incinerate Only.”
In Massachusetts, you do not need to autoclave Biosafety Level 1 (BL1) or BL2 waste before collecting it in biological waste containers. However, other regulations or policies may require inactivating certain biological waste before final disposal.
Before you dispose of biological waste, ask your Principal Investigator (PI) or Biosafety Officer (BSO) if your lab has additional waste disposal requirements.
1. Identify waste
- Solid biological waste: All biologically contaminated waste except biological sharps. Examples include visibly contaminated personal protective equipment (PPE) and culture waste.
- Pathological waste: Animal waste, human organs and tissues, and containers or material saturated with body fluids.
2. Select an appropriate waste container
Collect and store waste in an appropriate container:
- Solid biological waste: Cardboard biological waste box or plastic bin lined with red biological waste bags.
- Pathological waste: Labeled cardboard biological waste box lined with red biological waste bags.
3. Collect and store waste
While collecting any type of waste:
- Avoid placing liquids in solid biological waste boxes to prevent leaks. If you must place liquids in a box, add enough absorbent material to soak up liquids.
- Avoid puncturing plastic bags with waste like plastic serological pipettes. Consider using a container like a Terminal® Pipet Keeper™ Disposal Container.
- Collect sharps in an appropriate puncture-resistant, leak-proof, closable, and properly labeled sharps container. Do not place loose sharps in biological waste boxes.
- In animal or storage areas, always keep containers closed when you are not adding waste.
To close a container that is not full, either:
- Tape the bag to the flaps and sides, then close the top of the container.
- Buy a cover from Stericycle, such as plastic flip-top cover or metal sliding cover.
You can use a lined cardboard biological waste box to collect solid biological and pathological waste.
Labs must train staff to properly pack cardboard boxes.
To pack a cardboard biological waste box:
- Assemble a cardboard box with the arrows facing right-side up. Use packing tape to seal all the bottom seams.
- Line the box with two red biological waste bags.
- If required, inactivate the waste before disposal.
- Place solid biological waste inside the red biological waste bags within the box.
- Place any closed and sealed sharps single-use containers in the box.
- When the box is three-quarters full, tie a knot to close the red biological waste bags, cover the box with a lid or fold over the top flaps, and tape the seams of the box shut with packing tape.
- Write the lab name, building, room number, and phone extension on the side of the box. Custodial staff only pick up properly labeled boxes.
- If the box contains pathological waste, label the box with the words “Pathological Waste” and “Incinerate Only” by placing a sticker label or marking the checkboxes on the outside of the box.
- Submit a request to pick up sealed boxes in a pre-arranged or obvious area. Do not leave boxes in hallways outside designated areas.
- Custodial staff pick up the container, move it to a waste storage room, and attach a preprinted generator barcode label.
Only certain schools use plastic biological waste containers.
Do not pack pathological waste in reusable gray plastic biological waste bins. Instead, use cardboard biological waste boxes.
To pack a plastic biological waste bin:
- Line the plastic bin with one red biological waste bag.
- If required, inactivate the waste before disposal.
- Place solid biological waste in the lined bin.
- Place any closed and sealed sharps containers in the bin.
- When the bin is three-quarters full, tie a knot to close the red biological waste bag and snap the cover shut.
- Do not put additional labels or write anything directly on the plastic bin. Remove or deface any old labels on the bin.
- If your lab does not regularly schedule waste pickups, submit a request to pick up bins in a pre-arranged or obvious area. Do not leave bins in hallways outside of designated areas.
- Custodial staff pick up the container, move it to a waste storage room, and attach a preprinted generator barcode label.
Requesting waste pickups and supplies
Submit a request to your school to pick up sealed containers or deliver unused containers and red biological waste bags.
- FAS and SEAS: Submit a non-urgent work order request.
- HMS and HSDM: Call 617-432-1901.
- HSPH: Call 617-495-5560.
EHS support
Contact biosafety@harvard.edu or your BSO for more information about solid biological and pathological waste at Harvard.