Hand Sanitizer and Expired Products Disposal Services

Because of their elevated alcohol content, hand sanitizer products are classified as ignitable, placing them within a regulated class of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Moreover, specific hand sanitizers have been subject to recalls by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), necessitating hazardous waste disposal irrespective of their expiration date.

Classified as a Class 3 Flammable liquid, hand sanitizer has the potential for combustion when concentrated at high levels. For instance, pouring around 50 gallons of alcohol-based sanitizer down the drain could result in vapors combustible enough to displace manhole covers in the municipal waste system. If disposed of in a dumpster, there is a risk of a literal dumpster fire, or the garbage disposal truck may catch fire during the compaction process.

Bulk amounts of expired hand sanitizer must be transported to a secure hazardous waste disposal facility in an approved tanker truck or industrial waste management containers equipped with emergency pressure-activated vents. Drivers need to have CDLs and specialized safety training. Required Class 3 Flammable Liquids protocols include RCRA hazardous waste labels, registration, manifesting, and reporting.