The handling, packaging, transport and disposal of waste in Ontario is governed by municipal, provincial and federal government legislation. To enable compliance with these regulations, the University has developed programs, procedures and internal services focused on specific waste categories.

The Facilities & Services Environmental Protection Services has prepared a Laboratory Hazardous Waste Management and Disposal Manual which consolidates existing information and identifies procedures for the packaging, labelling and disposal of biological, chemical, radioactive, sharps, and other hazardous waste at the University of Toronto.

Laboratory waste contaminated with or containing biological materials should be autoclaved or disinfected to inactivate the biological materials prior to disposal. Where on-site functioning autoclaves (steam sterilizers) are not available and the conventional use of chemical disinfectants for the inactivation of hazardous biological materials in laboratory waste is not practicable or not efficacious, other waste handling and disposal methods must be considered. Waste containers that are appropriate to the campus must be used.