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Chemical collection and stock control for UK schools, universities and hospitals

Camphor (CAS 76-22-2): storage and disposal

Camphor is a waxy white solid kept in school and university prep rooms and in some pharmacy stock. It is classed as a flammable solid, harmful if inhaled and may cause damage to organs. Unlike most solids it does not stay put: it slowly passes from solid straight to vapour, so old bottles lose stock and the vapour settles elsewhere. That behaviour shapes both the storage checks and the waste record.

CAS number
76-22-2
Form
Solid
Storage class
Flammable
Signal word
Danger
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • Flammable pictogramFlammable
  • Harmful or irritant pictogramHarmful or irritant
  • Serious health hazard pictogramSerious health hazard

What to do this week

  1. Check the label is readable and write down the opened date if it is not already there.
  2. Check it is stored as flammable stock and apart from the items listed under "Do not store with".
  3. If you no longer need it, add it to your disposal list so it goes on the next collection.

Safe storage in a school or lab

Cap the jar tightly every time, since the solid gives off vapour even at ordinary temperatures and a loose lid lets the stock shrink. Place it in a ventilated fire-resistant cabinet with spill containment, away from ignition sources, because it is a flammable solid. Keep it away from oxidisers, which can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense, and from oxidising acids. Pharmacy holders with a small bottle of camphor should keep it apart from the dispensing stock and the general medicines shelf. Do not leave a jar near a radiator or a sunny window, where vapour loss speeds up. Label it with the date it arrived.

How to tell it has deteriorated

A strong smell and a shrinking lump are how old camphor shows itself. A sharp, medicinal smell around a cupboard means a lid has not sealed. Inside the jar, white crystals can build up on the underside of the lid and the upper walls as the vapour settles again, and the lump at the bottom shrinks. A jar that was full when received and is now half empty, with nobody having used it, is a sign of loss through the closure. Also look for a cracked lid, a faded label and clumped, damp-looking solid. Sublimed crystals on the cap can make it hard to unscrew, so do not force it.

How it must be disposed of

By specialist collection only. It never goes down the drain or into general waste. It is normally packed in a flammable laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

What must not be done with it is simple to state: do not leave the jar open to let it vanish, do not burn it and do not wash it away, because it is a flammable solid and harmful if inhaled. It goes by specialist collection in a lab pack with compatible organic solids. Use 16 05 06* for a school, college or university holder, and 18 01 06* in a human healthcare setting such as a pharmacy. Record the weight remaining, since sublimation means the figure on the label no longer matches, and note any crystals on the lid. A registered carrier takes it to a permitted facility.

Waste codes and transport details for Camphor
EWC code, laboratory chemicals16 05 06*
Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack16 05 08*
Human healthcare setting18 01 06*
Hazardous wasteYes

The code depends on where the waste came from and what it is mixed with. Use the waste code finder to see why.

Do not store with

  • OxidiserOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • AcidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • CorrosiveA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.

Named chemicals to keep apart

  • Acetic acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Calcium hypochloriteOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Hydrochloric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Hydrogen peroxideOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Nitric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Potassium nitrateOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Potassium permanganateOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Sulfuric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
Show 2 more
  • Thionyl chlorideA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.
  • Zinc chlorideA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.

Common quantities we collect

Usually held as: solid.

Part-used bottles and full containers are both fine. Tell us the size and how many, and an estimate is enough for a first price.

Where it is commonly held

Hazard statements

  • H228 Flammable solid.
  • H332 Harmful if inhaled.
  • H371 May cause damage to organs.
Precautionary statements
  • P210 Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
  • P240 Ground and bond container and receiving equipment.
  • P241 Use explosion-proof electrical, ventilating and lighting equipment.
  • P260 Do not breathe dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
  • P261 Avoid breathing dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
  • P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
  • P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
  • P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
  • P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
  • P301+P317 IF SWALLOWED: Get medical help.
  • P302+P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water.
  • P304+P340 IF INHALED: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing.
  • P308+P316 IF exposed or concerned: Get emergency medical help immediately.
  • P317 Get medical help.
  • P319 Get medical help if you feel unwell.
  • P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
  • P330 Rinse mouth.
  • P332+P317 If skin irritation occurs: Get medical help.
  • P362+P364 Take off contaminated clothing. And wash it before reuse.
  • P370+P378 In case of fire: Use suitable extinguishing media to extinguish.
  • P405 Store locked up.
  • P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

Why is the camphor jar half empty when nobody has used it?

Camphor passes slowly from solid to vapour, so a poorly sealed jar loses stock to the air. Check that the lid is tight, record what is left, and declare the jar at its current weight, not the original.

Is camphor stored with solvents or with general stock?

It is a flammable solid, so it goes in the fire-resistant cabinet with spill containment, away from ignition sources and oxidisers. A general shelf is not suitable for it.

Can we dispose of camphor from the pharmacy with other medicines?

No. As a chemical waste it is described under 18 01 06* in a healthcare setting and collected separately by specialist collection. Do not mix it into medicine waste containers.

Crystals have formed on the lid and it will not unscrew. What now?

Do not force it. The crystals are camphor that has settled again from vapour. Keep the jar upright in the cabinet, note the problem on the record and tell the collector the lid is stuck.

Guidance only. Check your own risk assessment and your supplier's safety data sheet.

Hazard data source: PubChem GHS Classification, retrieved 31 Oct 2026. Formula C10H16O. EC number 200-945-0.

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