A very important step in a chemical's life cycle is its proper disposal as a waste, which might simply be caused by having a surplus of the substance. Because ethanol is highly flammable and combustible, there are a couple of industry protocols and safety measurements to take in order to safely dispose of the excess ethanol. These regulations have to be strictly followed in order to protect human health and the environment from the dangerous waste.
Hazardous waste management program
Drain disposal of ethanol
In strict adherence to hazardous waste regulations and in order to protect human health and the environment, all hazardous chemical waste must be properly disposed and forbidden to be rushed down the drain. Since the definition of the term "hazardous" is broad, an overwhelmingly of laboratory chemicals used will be considered "hazardous", and thus prohibited from simple drain disposal. These hazardous chemicals must be collected and properly disposed. The main reason why ethanol is considered a hazardous waste is due to it being easily flammable, having an ignitability that is characteristic of hazardous waste defined by the EPA(Environmental Protection Agency). Consequently, as a flammable liquid, it is banned from entering the public sewer, even if diluted with copious amounts of water. Also, since the agency does not base decisions on volume or quantity limits, even small quantities of chemical waste must be collected for proper disposal. Furthermore, the intentional evaporation, dilution, or neutralization of a chemical in order to avoid collection and proper disposal is illegal.
Proper disposal
In a laboratory and industrial setting, the proper disposal of ethanol is actually quite simple. Foremost, wearing proper protection clothing, the equipment and work area should be decontaminated using soap and water. Afterwards, the used ethanol should be disposed as hazardous waste in the appropriate waste container. Solid waste containing ethanol (such as paper towels, rags etc) are to be disposed of into waste bins. These waste bins should be away from any ignition source. The labeled waste container should have an appropriate hazardous waste tag along with the date and contents as soon as the ethanol is added into the container. Waste should then be stored in closed containers, in secondary containment or a designated location. It is dangerous for waste containers to be stored in a fume hood where reactions are occurring or near any other flammable waste containers, as well as near a sink or floor drain. This is to assure that if an accident does occur, incompatible chemicals do not mix together, which may cause an explosion. Furthermore, it is important to not store acids and organic waste (such as ethanol) in the same cabinet, since perchance these chemicals should mix, it would cause a fire and explosion. Additionally, it is critical that incompatible solvents should not be disposed of in the same waste container. For instance, nitric acid and ethanol will form an explosive mixture. Moreover, the waste bottle or jar should have a cap that fits tightly, and there should be at least 1 inch of room at the top or the container. Besides, the outside of the bottle should be clean and dry. Ethanol should then be disposed from the waste container within 90 days, and the empty container should be rinsed off with water and dried appropriately in a glassware container.