Waste is hazardous when its composition or properties present a specific danger to people or the environment. All hazardous waste needs safe management.
| For guidance on disposal of hazardous and chemical waste visit the safety office website |
Keeping records
It is important to create a traceable record of dates, addresses and times when waste leaves one site and arrives at another. We need accurate details of what is in the waste and the specific risk it presents. We also need the names and contact information of the people involved at each stage of the waste’s journey.
It is a legal requirement for University departments and insitutes to keep copies of waste transfer notes (produced for all waste) and consignment notes (produced for hazardous waste only) for 3 years.
Any person or business involved in producing, storing, moving, recovering or disposing of hazardous waste must fill in the parts of the consignment note that link to their responsibilities. For further guidance, see our Duty of Care page, or read the official guidance on hazardous waste management (gov.uk guidance, opens in new window). More detailed information on specific topics can be found at the links below:
- 'Disposal of chemical and laboratory waste' (OHSS document, opens in new window)
- 'Disposal of biological/ clinical laboratory waste' (OHSS document, opens in new window)
- 'Other hazardous waste disposal needs' (OHSS webpage, opens in new window)
You must keep copies of both the consignment notes and returns sent to you by the consignee (the recipient of the waste). This is a legal requirement and could be audited by the Sustainability Team, Safety Office, or Environment Agency at any time.
Clinical waste
Clinical waste covers the disposal of any waste that consists of, or is contaminated with, human or animal tissue, blood or other bodily fluids or excretions, drugs or other pharmaceutical products, swabs or dressings, or syringes, needles or other sharp instruments, and any other waste arising from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary, pharmaceutical or similar practise, investigation, treatment, care, teaching, research or blood transfusion. For more information, see the Safety Office website or:
- 'Disposal of biological/ clinical laboratory waste' (OHSS document, opens in new window)
Departments embedded in the Addenbrookes Hospital
Departments based within Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust premises should follow these guidelines (N.B. this is the 2016 version) on the disposal of waste.