Australia's Science Forum

Thanks Labbie. Very useful, as always.
I learned on Science ASSIST that the waste bottles should be stored according to the same rules for non-waste chemicals i.e. organic waste should be stored in the flammables cabinet. I am definitely going to run out of space in the chemical store room!

I try to limit the use of metals by encouraging mico-chemistry (I'm not always successful!) and we we don't use any lead salts at all; I recently banned potassium permanganate because it's so hard to dispose of.

I don't put anything down the sink and discourage students from doing so (again, not always successfully) largely because we have Level 5 water restrictions so I can't flush the sink!

Good point Elizabeth. I can't put anything down our sink because of the septic but given how dry it had been here for the last three years, I felt guilty running the tap. Fortunately, chemical disposal is factored into the budget and I don't have any problems organising disposal.
In terms of plastic -v- glass - I still feel that a 2L glass bottle is less likely to get knocked over than plastic.