Treatment Alternatives for Lab Pack Wastes

Certain laboratories generate small amounts of various types of hazardous wastes with various characteristics. Such lab operations often take advantage of RCRA rules that allow them to pack small containers of wastes together in a larger drum. This is referred to as "overpacking," and the filled drums are called "lab packs."

The EPA has designated a single treatment standard for lab packs. In spite of the fact that the lab packs may contain a variety of hazardous wastes, the EPA considers incineration to be an acceptable and complete treatment for lab pack containers. However, there are some exceptions to the RCRA rule for lab packs. For example, RCRA specifies various wastes that may not be present in the lab pack, including heavy metal waste such as mercury, arsenic, and certain pigment wastewater.

To learn more about RCRA safety standards visit our RCRA Refresher Online Training web page.