Carmine (CAS 1390-65-4): storage and disposal

Start at the shelf by checking the jar closes properly and sits away from damp, because a natural dye is the kind of powder that takes up moisture and clumps. It is general stock, so a dry, labelled, well organised store is enough, with the date of receipt written on the jar. Keep the jar out of direct light and away from the wash-up area, and apart from the aluminium-based reagents some carmine methods call for, so that a spill cannot mix them. If a working solution has been made in a lab, label it as such and keep it separate from the powder.

It gives few signs of age of its own, so the general checks apply. Carmine powder should be dry and loose with a deep red colour. Clumping, caking, a damp look or a musty smell suggest moisture, and since this is a natural product, mould on a damp jar is possible. A red stain at the cap or shelf shows the seal has failed, and a stained or faded label makes the contents unknown. The dye gives few other visual signs of age, so the date of receipt and the stock record matter. Any jar with neither should be listed as unknown, not opened to check.

We arrange this by specialist collection. We do not publish a drain or general waste route for any chemical. It is normally packed in a non-regulated or low hazard laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Grouping is simple, since carmine is a dry dye that can be packed in a lab pack with other compatible dry stock. State the form, the jar size and the condition, and mention any jar that has caked or looks damp. A school or university store would normally describe this dye under 16 05 09, and a pathology service clearing human healthcare stock would normally use 18 01 07. Although it is not normally classified as hazardous, it remains chemical waste needing an accurate description, so it is never emptied into a sink or general waste, and nobody should try to treat a damp jar first.

Usually held as: solid.

Tell us the container size and how many you hold. An estimate is enough to start with, and some items cannot be priced until someone has looked at them.