Frequently asked questions
These are the questions we expect from technicians, lab managers and waste officers. They are written as plainly as we can manage. Where a question depends on regulations, the detail sits on a guide page: see the consignment note guide, the waste code finder, the chemical storage classes guide and how collection works.
For anything we have not covered, phone 0208 088 8371, Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5:30pm.
Frequently asked questions
Who are you?
LabChemicalDisposal.co.uk is run by Box 4 Digital Group Ltd. We arrange collection through registered hazardous waste carriers and handle the quote, paperwork and invoice. We do not transport, hold or treat waste ourselves.
Which establishments do you work with?
Secondary schools, sixth-form and further education colleges, multi-academy trusts, universities and research labs, NHS and private hospitals, pathology and histology labs, pharmacies, clinics, veterinary and dental practices, and industrial laboratories.
Where do you collect from?
England, Wales and Scotland. Collections in Northern Ireland are handled as a manual enquiry for now.
What can you not collect through the normal route?
Controlled drugs, radioactive sources, explosives including dried picric acid and other chemicals flagged as unstable, compressed gas cylinders, asbestos and unknown substances that cannot be placed with confidence. These go to a manual enquiry and a recommended store assessment.
Can laboratory chemicals go down the sink?
We do not publish a sewer route for any chemical. Every chemical we list is either a specialist collection or a manual enquiry. If you have a discharge consent or local arrangement, that is for your own organisation and water company.
How much does chemical disposal cost?
It depends on what the chemicals are, how many hazard groups they fall into, the quantity, the location and access. We do not publish a price list because two lists of the same length can need quite different work. You get one itemised price before you commit.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes. A minimum order value applies before a quote can be issued, currently £750 excluding VAT. If your list falls short you can add items, or hold it until your next stock check.
How do we pay?
By BACS against an invoice from Box 4, with your purchase order number on it if you need one. We do not take card payments.
Do you see my waste, or does someone else?
A registered carrier's staff attend, sort, pack and remove the waste. They take it to a site permitted to receive it. We arrange this and are your point of contact for the paperwork and invoice.
Can you tell me who the carrier will be?
Not when pricing, but yes once you accept. The consignment note names the carrier and the consignee before the waste moves, and you should check the registration on the public register.
What paperwork do we get?
A consignment note for each movement of hazardous waste, of which you keep a copy, and later a consignee return. In England you keep these for three years at the premises that produced or stored the waste.
How should we prepare the store?
Keep the route clear and make sure someone can open the store and sign on the day. Leave chemicals where they are safely stored. Do not gather, decant or mix anything to tidy up.
We have found an old bottle and do not know what it is. What now?
Do not open or move it. Note where it is and what it looks like. If it could be dried picric acid, an old ether or something leaking, keep people away from it and call us or your advisory body.
Can you collect mercury?
Mercury and mercury compounds are hazardous waste that can be arranged as a specialist collection. Do not attempt to clean up a spill with a vacuum cleaner, and keep the container sealed and in secondary containment until collection.
Do you hold a waste licence or accreditation?
We do not transport or treat waste, and we do not claim any licence or accreditation. Our waste broker registration number is [TO CONFIRM].
Are you a member of CLEAPSS or SSERC, or approved by them?
No. We refer to CLEAPSS and SSERC documents by name and number only, and we are not connected to either body.
How do we check that a carrier is legitimate?
Ask for the registration number and search the public register run by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales or SEPA. DAERA holds the Northern Ireland register.
Do you provide an emergency service?
We do not promise response times or 24-hour cover. If there is immediate danger, call 999. Then call us in office hours, and we will work out what can be arranged.
Can we use your software without booking a collection?
Yes. The Chemical Register works as a stock record on its own, and Starter is free.
Is your software ready?
Yes. The Chemical Register is a working web application. The software pages set out what it does and what it does not do, and you can begin on the free Starter plan.
Do you use AI?
The Chemical Register has an AI assistant, using DeepSeek V4 Flash through Hugging Face. Its output is labelled as a suggestion, and a person confirms anything before it reaches the register. A competent person signs off COSHH notes.
Where is my data held?
The live service runs in the UK, on OVH. Backups are stored on a Hetzner Storage Box in Germany. AI calls may be processed outside the UK. We state what we do and do not hold on our security page.
Have a chemical to move?
A rough list or a photo of the shelf is enough for us to start. We reply within 2 working days.