Pharmaceutical waste codes
For health care facilities in Washington, most pharmaceutical wastes designate as dangerous waste. Waste designation is the responsibility of the generating facility. We cannot designate generator wastes.
This page provides a list of common pharmaceuticals and their waste codes, but is not exhaustive. Waste codes for dangerous waste pharmaceuticals include:
- P and U waste codes: P-listed, U-listed wastes
- D waste codes: Characteristic for ignitable, toxic, corrosive, reactive
- W waste codes: State-only waste codes
The term “dangerous waste” includes both federal hazardous waste and Washington state-only dangerous waste.
P- and U-listed wastes
Waste codes that begin with "P" or "U" are for discarded chemical products — unused, commercial products that become waste and contain only one active ingredient.
- P codes: Used for acutely hazardous "P-listed" chemicals. These chemicals are highly toxic and stringently regulated.
- U codes: Used for "U-listed" chemicals.
See the full list of P- and U-listed chemicals in the regulation (WAC 173-303-9903).
| Waste code | Sole active ingredient | Product name |
|---|---|---|
| P001 | Warfarin and salts (concentration greater than 0.3%) |
|
| P012 | Arsenic trioxide |
|
| P042 | Epinephrine |
|
| P046 | Phentermine |
|
| P075 | Nicotine and salts |
|
| P188 | Physostigmine salicylate |
|
| P204 | Physostigmine |
|
| Waste code | Sole active ingredient | Product name |
|---|---|---|
| U010 | Mitomycin C |
|
| U015 | Azaserine |
|
| U034 | Chloral or chloral hydrate |
|
| U035 | Chlorambucil |
|
| U044 | Chloroform (not commonly seen) |
|
| U058 | Cyclophosphamide |
|
| U059 | Daunomycin |
|
| U089 | Diethylstilbesterol |
|
| U129 | Lindane |
|
| U132 | Hexachlorophene |
|
| U150 | Melphalan |
|
| U151 | Mercury |
|
| U182 | Paraldehyde |
|
| U187 | Phenacetin |
|
| U188 | Phenol |
|
| U200 | Reserpine |
|
| U201 | Resorcinol |
|
| U205 | Selenium sulfide |
|
| U206 | Streptozotocin |
|
| U237 | Uracil mustard (not commonly seen) |
|
| U248 | Warfarin and salts (concentration less than or equal to 0.3%) |
|
Characteristic waste codes
Waste codes that begin with "D" are for characteristic wastes.
This list identifies dangerous waste characteristics from WAC 173-303-090.
| Waste code | Characteristic | Waste description or name | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| D001 | Ignitable | Aqueous drug formulation containing 24% or more alcohol by volume. |
|
| D001 | Ignitable | Liquid drug formulations, with a flashpoint of less than 140° F or 60° C, except aqueous solutions containing less than 24% alcohol. |
|
| D001 | Ignitable | Oxidizers or materials that readily supply oxygen to a reaction in the absence of air as defined by the Department of Transportation (DOT). |
|
| D001 | Ignitable | Flammable aerosol propellants meeting the DOT definition of compressed gas. |
|
| Waste code | Characteristic | Waste description or name | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| D004 | Toxic | Arsenic |
|
| D005 | Toxic | Barium |
|
| D007 | Toxic | Chromium |
|
| D009 | Toxic | Mercury |
|
| D010 | Toxic | Selenium |
|
| D011 | Toxic | Silver |
|
| D013 | Toxic | Lindane |
|
| D022 | Toxic | Chloroform |
|
| D024 | Toxic | M-cresol |
|
| Waste code | Characteristic | Waste description or name | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| D002 | Corrosive | Most corrosive waste will be compounding chemicals. |
Any solution with pH:
|
| D003 | Reactive | Unstable under "normal" conditions. These wastes can cause explosions, toxic fumes, gases, or vapors when heated, compressed, or mixed with water. |
|
1While nitroglycerin is the only pharmaceutical we are aware of that may be considered reactive, most medical formulations of nitroglycerin are not reactive. Those formulations that are not reactive are not considered P-listed wastes.
State-only waste codes
Washington state-only waste codes start with a “W.” Many pharmaceuticals in Washington designate for state-only:
- Toxicity (WT01 or WT02)
or - Persistence (WP01, WP02).
| Product name | Waste code |
|---|---|
|
Aspirin |
WT02 |
|
Desflurane (anesthesia gas) |
WP01 |
|
Dexbrompheniramine |
WT02 |
|
Dimetapp (Bromotapp Solid) |
WT02 |
|
Doxycycline hyclate (tetracycline derivative) |
WT02 |
|
Elimite Dermal Cream 5% (Permethrin) for lice and scabies |
WT02 |
|
Fentanyl |
WT02 |
|
Griseofulvin tablets |
WP01 |
|
Guaifenesin (Cough Syrup) |
WT02 |
|
Halothane, U.S.P. |
WP01 |
|
Ibuprofen |
WT02 |
|
Imodium (Loperamide HCL) |
WP02 |
|
Indomethacin capsule |
WT02 |
|
Lidocaine |
WT02 |
|
Metoclopramide (heartburn) |
WP01 |
|
Nystatin cream |
WP02 |
|
Phenylephrine HCL |
WT02 |
|
Sevoflurane |
WP01 |
|
Skin refrigerant (dichlorotetrafluoroethane) |
WP01 |
|
Triamcinolone Acetonide (cream for psoriasis) |
WT02 |
|
Tylenol |
WT02 |
|
Vancomycin (antibiotic) |
WP01 |
|
Vancomycin Hydrochloride (Injection) |
WP01 |
Contact information
Lisa Perle
Southwest Region
lisa.perle@ecy.wa.gov
360-522-0538
Jenny Yoo
Northwest Region
jenny.yoo@ecy.wa.gov
425-457-3636
Eric McConnell
Eastern Region
eric.mcconnell@ecy.wa.gov
509-279-3025
Katherine Gauthier
Central Region
katherine.gauthier@ecy.wa.gov
509-406-6851