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Lab equipment must be properly decontaminated before leaving the laboratory for disposal.  Whether the equipment is to be moved by ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë Recycling staff for surplus disposal or it is being relocated and moved by an outside commercial moving company, it must be free of radiological, biological and chemical contamination.

1. Clean and decontaminate the equipment with an appropriate disinfectant.
2. Request that ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë TSP look at the equipment to see if there are any hazardous components (ballasts, capacitors, batteries, lightbulbs, mercury switches) that must be removed, if necessary.
3. Complete the online Surplus Disposal Form (PDF)  (new fillable form) and save as pdf. 
4. Email safety@uvm.edu to have someone come to your lab and sign off that your equipment has been emptied and properly decontaminated. 
5. Login to Planon and create a Service Request (SR). Follow the links for Frequently Requested Services > Recycling and Surplus > Surplus Disposal. You can attach a copy of the completed Surplus Disposal form to the online Service request OR email the form to recycle@uvm.edu.
6. Tape a duplicate copy of the completed Surplus Disposal Form, including EHS staff signoffs, and the SR #, on the equipment to be disposed.

Environmental Health and Safety staff must sign off that the equipment is clean and decontaminated prior to disposal through ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë Recycling. Email safety@uvm.edu.

NOTE: OFFICE EQUIPMENT that has had no potential exposure to chemical, biological, or radioactive materials need not be cleared by Risk Management and Safety.

All hazardous components must also be removed before lab equipment can be safely disposed of as scrap metal. The manual, equipment schematic diagragm or manufacturer can often tell you if there are hazardous components or not. Hazardous components include the following:

• Fluorescent or UV lightbulbs
• Mercury switches
• Freon, glycols, or other refrigerants, (Drained liquid must be collected as a lab waste, tag for disposal)
• Hydraulic oil, vacuum pump oils, etc.
• Capacitors
• Batteries

Contact ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë Technical Services Program to remove embedded hazardous components from your lab equipment before disposal.

• Equipment that contains a radioactive source or that potentially came in contact with radioactive materials must cleared by ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë Radiation Safety () prior to disposal.
• Equipment used with biological materials must be decontaminated with an appropriate disinfectant, such as 10% bleach solution or 70% ethanol prior to ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë Recycling staff handing it for disposal. Decontaminate all exposed surfaces (inside and out). Spray and leave disinfectant on for appropriate contact time to kill any contamination.
• If you are disposing of a Biological Safety Cabinet (BSC) that was used with infectious agents, contact safety@uvm.edu to have us assist you with proper decontamination through ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë Technical Services Program (TSP).
• All other laboratory equipment can be decontaminated with soap and water solution or mild detergent. If your equipment appears too contaminated to perform decontamination safely, contact safety@uvm.edu for guidance.

Protect the safety of ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë employees and the environment by properly handling equipment at the end of its useful life.  While electronic equipment does not need to be "cleared" by Safety staff, E-waste, such as computers, monitors, laptops and similar items, must not be placed with regular trash.