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

Lidocaine (CAS 137-58-6): storage and disposal

Few chemicals are held in as many forms across so many settings: dental cartridges, vials in a veterinary practice, gel in a pharmacy and the base in a university lab. Lidocaine is classified as harmful if swallowed, with a warning signal word, and the form on the shelf is what shapes the listing for a collection.

CAS number
137-58-6
Form
Solid
Storage class
General
Signal word
Warning
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • Harmful or irritant pictogramHarmful or irritant

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 general 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

Mixed forms on one shelf are the usual muddle. A dental surgery, vet practice or pharmacy should keep cartridges or vials in their original cartons, with gel and any solid base in separate labelled places so the description matches the container. Keep it away from heat and bright light, which are poor for any pharmaceutical, and out of reach of the public areas of a practice. The base held in a university store is a solid and should be held as a dry chemical with a date on the jar. Boxes are dated on receipt, and stock is rotated so the oldest is used first, not left to drift behind newer deliveries.

How to tell it has deteriorated

Solutions should be clear and colourless. Cloudiness, a deposit, particles or any change of colour in a vial or cartridge means it is not sound. Look at cartridges for cracked glass, loose or pushed-out bungs and a leaking seal, and at gel tubes for splits, separation and dried crust at the nozzle. There is little else to see, so for the base the checks are caking, damp, a faded label and a missing date. Anything past its printed date or without a legible label is stock to list, not to use up on the next patient.

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 non-regulated or low hazard laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

How it leaves the site starts with an honest list by form: cartridges or vials with the count, gel with the strength and quantity, and any solid base by weight. A veterinary setting uses 18 02 08, a human healthcare setting 18 01 09 and a university or other site 16 05 06*, though the code list should be confirmed against what you describe. Medicinal waste under 18 01 09 or 18 02 08 follows the medicines waste route. Neat laboratory lidocaine is classified separately from its composition. Expired cartridges do not go into a sharps bin, a sink or general waste. Registered carriers collect them in compatible packaging, and glass items are packed so they cannot break.

Waste codes and transport details for Lidocaine
EWC code, laboratory chemicals16 05 06*
Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack16 05 08*
Human healthcare setting18 01 09
Veterinary setting18 02 08
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.

Common quantities we collect

Usually held as: injection, gel.

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

  • H302 Harmful if swallowed.
Precautionary statements
  • P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
  • P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
  • P301+P317 IF SWALLOWED: Get medical help.
  • P330 Rinse mouth.
  • P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

Do expired dental cartridges go in the sharps bin?

No. Expired cartridges are chemical waste for specialist collection, not sharps. Keep them in their cartons, count them, and list them with the strength and form. Intact glass is packed so it cannot break.

Is the powder the same waste as the injection?

They are the same substance in different forms and are listed separately. The base is a solid and the injection is a solution in glass, so each needs its own description, quantity and container condition.

How can we tell if an old cartridge is still sound?

Look for cloudiness, particles, colour change, cracked glass, a displaced bung and a leaking seal. Whatever it looks like, anything past its date or without a legible label is listed for collection.

Which code do vets use?

A veterinary setting uses 18 02 08 in the code list, a human healthcare setting 18 01 09, and other holders 16 05 06*. Describe your product and setting when you enquire and the entry is confirmed.

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 C14H22N2O. EC number 205-302-8.

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