Universal Waste
Hazardous Materials
Batteries, Light Bulbs and Electronics
Universal waste refers to items that qualify as hazardous waste but are very common and easily recyclable.
Purdue recycles or disposes of the following items as universal waste:
Batteries
- Lead-acid (Pb), nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd, Cd), nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium ion (Li, Li-ion, Li-Po), mercury (Hg) and all rechargeable batteries
- Alkaline batteries may be disposed of in the trash when not marked with the words or symbols listed above.
Lamps
- Fluorescent tube, compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), high-intensity discharge (HID), ultraviolet (UV), flood lamps, light emitting diode (LED)
- Standard incandescent light bulbs are disposed of in the trash.
Capacitors and Ballasts
- With or without PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl chemicals)
E-Waste
- Circuit boards, diodes, resistors, cathode ray tubes, liquid crystal displays (LCD), computers, keyboards
- E-waste is dismantled and recycled by Purdue Surplus.
Disposal Procedures
- Bring universal waste to the Hazardous Materials Management Trailer (HMMT) during business hours
- Contact Purdue Surplus for e-waste disposal: 765-496-2200
Damaged or Broken Items
- Leaking non-alkaline batteries and broken non-incandescent light bulbs are hazardous waste and need to be submitted for pickup by EHS.
Contact
Environmental Health and Safety
hazwaste@purdue.edu
765-494-0121