How to Use UC San Diego Hazardous Waste Tags

UC San Diego hazardous waste generators must have a Waste Generator Number to use the Online Waste Tag Program (OTP) and before Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) technicians can collect their waste.

• Apply online for a WGN

When you're assigned a WGN, you automatically get an OTP account.

By law, hazardous waste containers must be properly labeled for storage, transportation, and disposal.

A UC San Diego hazardous waste tag stating ownership, accumulation start date, contents, and hazards of the waste must be securely attached to your waste container before waste is added.

• Label chemical, radioactive, mixed chemical-radioactive, and universal waste containers with a UC San Diego hazardous waste tag.

• Biohazardous waste that has no chemical or radioactive contamination must be labeled directly on the red biosafety bag or sharps container containing the waste. A UC San Diego hazardous waste tag is not used.
  • See How to Package and Dispose of Biohazardous and Medical Waste for details.

Avoid violations and possible penalties from regulatory agencies: label all hazardous wastes promptly with complete information.

When you enter information about a waste chemical into the OTP, a completed waste tag is generated, ready for you to print and attach to your container.

• Go to the Online Waste Tag Program now.

Note: In addition to knowing the WGN for your lab or facility, you must have a UC San Diego Business Systems (sometimes referred to as Single Sign-On) user name and password to access the OTP.

• See How to Get Access to UC San Diego Business Systems for simple instructions. Contact your departmental security administrator (DSA) if you need assistance.

What the OTP can do for you

The OTP does much more than print waste tags. To make hazardous waste management easier, the OTP will:

• Provide automated waste tracking and tag generation for almost every hazardous waste produced at UC San Diego, including:
  • Chemical
  • Radioactive
  • Mixed radioactive-chemical
  • Universal wastes
• Save your frequently used waste profiles
• Self-populate the hazard class—just add a chemical and the program does the rest
• Generate completed waste tags ready for you to print and attach to your waste containers
• Notify EH&S when you're ready for a waste pickup
  • See the waste collection schedule for your building
• Keep a history of your collected wastes

Questions?

Contact the Hazardous Waste Team, (858) 534-9984 or 534-2753, if you have questions or need assistance with the OTP.

The UC San Diego Online Waste Tag Program is the preferred way to request hazardous waste pickup. The OTP has:

• A collection request feature
• Allows you to view a history of your collected wastes

See How to Request a Hazardous Waste Collection for other ways to have your hazardous waste collected.

All hazardous waste must be collected within 90 days from when waste is first put into containers.

If information is missing from your container's tag when EH&S technicians come to collect it, they may not be able to accept the waste. If this happens, they'll leave a Waste Refusal Notice.

If you receive a Waste Refusal Notice:

• Complete the missing information described on the Waste Refusal Notice before the next scheduled collection day. EH&S technicians will automatically return to collect the waste on the next scheduled collection day. If corrections have not been made, technicians will not be able to collect it.
• Upon second refusal, an EH&S technician will contact the waste generator to assist in correctly completing the tag and scheduling the waste for collection.
• If you have questions about why your waste was refused for collection, contact the EH&S Environmental Management Facility, (858) 534-2753.

Accumulation containers reused for the same waste before being emptied into a larger waste container must be labeled with a recurring accumulation use waste tag (PDF).

 To use this protocol, follow these conditions:

• The reused container must have a filled out recurring accumulation use waste tag (PDF).
  • Specify the days of week — if weekly, specific day of the week the materials will be transferred. The daily/weekly recurring waste container must be emptied at least once each day when in use or on the indicated weekly schedule.
  • Fill in your location, name, building and phone number.
  • List the chemical by name.
  • Check the hazard class and form.

The larger waste container must have a complete Online Waste Tag attached to it before the daily/weekly recurring waste container is put into use.

Please refer to How to Label Chemical Containers and the Hazardous Waste Generator Requirements (CAL/EPA) Fact Sheet (PDF) for more information.

Enter the Online Waste Tag Program and choose Order More Holders. Waste tag holders will be sent via campus mail at the earliest convenience. 

Use these online videos to guide you through the Online Waste Tag (OTP) application.