EHRS is responsible for the development and implementation of safe and effective management practices for all waste categorized as "infectious" by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Our goal is to manage the handling, sorting, storage, and disposal of all infectious waste generated at the University of Pennsylvania in a safe, environmentally sound manner that complies with all relevant regulations.

General Biohazardous Waste Guidelines for the University:

The use of Biohazard Burn-up Boxes is prohibited at Penn!

These boxes are challenging to dispose of. The cardboard is inappropriate to be used in tissue culture rooms. See below of other options to dispose of biohazard waste.

Sharps

• ALL syringes (with and without the hypodermic needle attached), needles with attached tubing, suture needles, blood vials, razor blades, and scalpels MUST always be discarded in a puncture resistant and leakproof sharps container, regardless of use.

• Other sharps waste that has been in contact with infectious agents or that has been used in animal or human patient care or treatment, or recombinant material MUST be discarded in a puncture resistant and leakproof sharps container, such as:        
  • Pasteur pipettes
  • Serological pipettes
  • Pipette Tips
  • culture dishes
  • slides and cover slips
  • Broken or unbroken glass or plasticware
  • Other pointed devices that may puncture a bag

• Sharps waste that has NOT come in contact with infectious agents or that has been used in animal or human patient care or treatment, or recombinant material MUST be discarded in a glass/plastic waste cardboard box lined with a heavy weight plastic liner.

Click on poster below to see detailed guidance on Proper Disposal of Sharp Objects

Other Biohazardous Waste

• Biohazardous "soft waste" must be discarded in           red/orange biohazard bags.

• DO NOT use clear or other colored bags to collect biohazard waste.

• "Soft waste" includes:

  • Gloves
  • Tissue culture flasks
  • Centrifuge tubes
  • Other non-sharps material that has come in contact with infectious, human, or recombinant material

• Infectious waste autoclave bags, red bags, sharps containers, and anything else with the universal biohazard symbol affixed to it DOES NOT belong in General Trash or Recycling under any circumstances! (See the FRES Waste Management and Recycling page for appropriate Lab Waste recycling guidance)

• CLICK on the posters below to see additional guidance biohazardous waste segregation requirement.  

Additional Resources

See Section 8 of the Biosafety Manual for more on infectious waste management and procedures.