Back-to-School Means Lab Clean-Outs: Planning Ahead for Hazardous-Waste Packaging Needs | Waste Dive

As universities, schools, research laboratories, and government facilities prepare for a new academic year, many are also scheduling laboratory clean-outs and the removal of outdated or unwanted chemicals and materials.

These projects can generate a wide variety of hazardous-waste packaging needs, often involving multiple container sizes and packaging configurations. Planning ahead can help environmental service providers and waste generators ensure the packaging they have specified for their projects is available when clean-out work begins.

Identify Packaging Needs Before the Project Begins

Laboratory clean-outs can range from a small number of unwanted materials to large-scale projects involving multiple laboratories, departments, or buildings.

Once the appropriate packaging requirements have been determined by the waste generator or its environmental service provider, ordering containers and related supplies in advance can help prevent packaging availability from becoming a last-minute obstacle.

Account for Different Container Sizes

Lab clean-outs often involve materials stored in bottles, jars, cans, and other containers of varying sizes.

Depending on the requirements established for the project, facilities and environmental contractors may need access to different sizes and styles of outer packaging, drums, boxes, absorbent materials, or other supplies.

Having those materials staged before the scheduled clean-out can help crews work more efficiently and reduce delays caused by missing packaging.

Inspect Packaging Before Use

Packaging should be inspected when received and again before use to identify visible damage that may have occurred during storage or transportation.

Facilities should also confirm that they have received the packaging specifications requested for the project and maintain any applicable packaging documentation provided by the manufacturer or supplier.

Don't Wait Until Clean-Out Day to Order

Packaging is sometimes treated as one of the final details of a hazardous-waste project. During busy periods, however, availability, freight schedules, and delivery lead times can affect when supplies arrive.

Ordering ahead provides additional time to address unexpected needs and helps ensure required packaging is on site before contractors or environmental personnel are scheduled to begin work.

Nationwide Packaging Support

Clean Earth Systems supplies hazardous-material and hazardous-waste packaging to environmental companies, industrial facilities, universities, government organizations, and other customers throughout the United States.

Through its nationwide distribution network, Clean Earth Systems provides access to Lab-Paks, UN-rated boxes, drums, overpacks, absorbents, spill-response products, and other packaging solutions.

“Laboratory clean-outs often involve a number of different packaging needs,” said Cory Stiger of Clean Earth Systems. “Our role is to help customers obtain the packaging products they have identified for their projects and get those products where they need them, when they need them.”

Planning Ahead for the New School Year

For universities, laboratories, schools, environmental contractors, and government facilities preparing for seasonal clean-outs, early coordination can help keep projects on schedule.

Determining packaging requirements through the appropriate environmental, safety, or regulatory personnel — and then securing those supplies before work begins — can help avoid unnecessary delays once a clean-out is underway.