How do I dispose of chemiclave solution?
Hmmm…. Good question. First off, here is the MSDS sheet for Vapo-Steril:
https://www.rtechdental.com/documents/vaposterile.pdf
The MSDS sheet states the following Waste Disposal Method: “Ignitable, should be disposed of as required by hazardous waste regulations.” It also states that small spills can be flushed with water, but that large spills should be collected for disposal.
Barnstead Thermolyne, the manufacturer of Chemiclave sterilizers simply state the following in their sterilizer owners manual: “Dispose of Vapo-Steril solution in accordance with all prevailing local jurisdictional requirements.”
Our suggestions are as follows:
Some city municipalities will allow for discharge of small quantities of Vapo-Steril (Ethanol 72%, Methanol 4%, Formaldehyde 0.23%) down the drain. However, it is important that you verify this with them.
Most of the time we recommend reclaiming it in liquid form and delivering it for proper disposal to a company like Safety-Kleen. Below is a clickable link to their website where you can check for a location near you. There is also a link to a PDF that talks about their solution recovery service.