Phenyl salicylate (CAS 118-55-8): storage and disposal

Begin with what it must be kept away from: heat. A cupboard above a radiator, beside a heating pipe or in a sunny window can be warm enough to soften the crystals, so keep the jar in a cool, dry, labelled, well organised store and date it on arrival. Because the dust irritates the airways, the lid goes on straight away after any opening, and the jar is handled at arm's length from faces. Keep it separate from food grade supplies. A jar that has fused should be left in one piece and not chipped at.

Crystals that were loose and now form a single block, or a jar with a glassy slab at the bottom and a smeared wall, have been through a warm spell. That is the main change to expect, and it is physical, not a sign that the contents are more dangerous. Look also for a faded label, a cap thread coated in powder, a cracked jar and a missing receipt date. Fine powder around the neck matters because of the respiratory irritation. A fused lump should be listed as it is, with a note on the record, not broken up.

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.

Say what is wrong with the jar when you list it. A fused or smeared jar is declared as found, because trying to chip out a solid releases dust that irritates the airways. Phenyl salicylate goes by specialist collection, packed in a lab pack with compatible organic solids, under waste code 16 05 06* or 16 05 08* for a discarded organic chemical outside a pack. Give the jar weight, the label names, such as salol or phenol salicylate, and the condition of the lid. It does not go into a sink, a bin or a skip, and nobody should try to melt or wash it out.

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.