Ensuring Proper Waste Disposal

These more relaxed universal waste rules and requirements were adopted to ensure that these types of hazardous wastes are managed safely and are not disposed of in the trash.

Note Wastes that do not contain hazardous substances are not universal wastes even if they are similar in type.

To learn more about hazardous waste determinations, please refer to our Defining Hazardous Waste page.

What Items are Designated as Universal Wastes?

Batteries

Universal waste batteries include rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries, silver button batteries, mercury batteries, small sealed lead acid batteries (burglar alarm and emergency light batteries), most alkaline batteries, carbon-zinc batteries, and any other batteries that exhibit a characteristic of a hazardous waste. For more information on batteries and how to handle them, please refer to our Universal Waste – Batteries page. 

NOTE: Spent automotive-type lead acid storage batteries are not universal waste. They are hazardous wastes that are managed under a different set of regulatory requirements. For more information, refer to article 7 of chapter 16.

Electronic Devices

These include any electronic equipment with or without a CRT, such as cell phones, telephones, computer CPUs, printers, VCRs, and portable DVD players that exhibits a hazardous waste characteristic. For more information about electronic waste, please refer to our Electronic Hazardous Waste webpage

Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) 

Waste CRTs, also known as picture tubes, are found in devices such as older televisions and computer monitors.

CRT glass

A cathode ray tube that has been accidentally broken or processed for recycling.

Universal Waste Lamps 

Universal waste lamps include fluorescent tubes and bulbs, high intensity discharge lamps, sodium vapor lamps, and any other type of lamps that exhibit a characteristic of a hazardous waste. Also, any electric lamp that contains added mercury, whether or not it exhibits a hazardous waste characteristic, is a universal waste. For additional information, please visit our Universal Waste – Fluorescent Bulbs and Other Mercury-Containing Lamps webpage.

Mercury-Containing Equipment

Mercury thermostats

These thermostats contain small glass capsules with mercury, a shiny liquid metal, to make electrical contact. In October 2021, California legislature passed the Mercury Thermostat Collection Act of 2021 in order to effectively handle the mercury thermostat waste stream in California. For more information, please refer to DTSC’s Mercury Thermostat webpage. 

Note Modern electronic thermostats do not contain mercury.

Mercury switches

Two different types of mercury switches are universal wastes:

• • Motor vehicle switches that contain mercury. Any mercury switch that is removed from a vehicle is a universal waste. When they are to be crushed for scrap, vehicles that contain mercury light switches are also universal waste until the mercury light switches are removed.
  • Non-automotive mercury switches and products that contain them. These switches include thermostats and tip switches in portable heaters, washing machine out-of-balance switches, silent wall switches, and other mercury-containing switches and products containing them. All discarded products that contain mercury switches are universal wastes.

Mercury thermometers

These include fever thermometers.

Pressure or vacuum gauges containing mercury

These include U-tube manometers, barometers, and sphygmomanometers (blood pressure meters).

Dilators and weighted tubing

These medical devices contain mercury.

Rubber flooring containing mercury

Some older gymnasium floors that were poured in place to form indoor tracks and gymnastic areas contain mercury.

Mercury-added novelties

This category includes practical joke items, figurines, jewelry, toys, games, cards, ornaments, yard statues and figures, candles, holiday decorations, and footwear that contain mercury or mercury batteries.

Effective January 1, 2003, the California Mercury Reduction Act banned sale of mercury-added novelties in this state, but some people still have them in their homes.

Mercury gas flow regulators

These older gas flow regulators are managed exclusively by natural gas utilities.

Counterweights and dampers

These devices use mercury’s high density to dampen shaking on hunting bows and snow skis or to absorb recoil on shotguns.

Dental amalgam tooth filling materials

These include waste amalgam, bits and pieces from chair side traps, and spent wastewater filters.

Non-Empty Aerosol Cans

These are universal wastes if they contain an ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic propellant or if the contents exhibit any hazardous waste characteristic. For more information, please refer our Universal Waste – Non-Empty Aerosol Cans webpage.

Photovoltaic Modules (PV modules)

Universal waste PV modules includes any device consisting of, or containing, one or more electrically connected photovoltaic cells that are designed to convert solar radiation into electrical energy. PV modules include integrated components that cannot be separated without breaking the PV module glass. For more information, please refer to our Photovoltaic Modules and PV Module FAQs webpages.

Do these Regulations Apply to Me?

Where Can I Send Universal Wastes?

Destinations for Universal Waste

Find a universal waste handling location near you!

What Rules Must I Follow to Manage my Universal Wastes?

If you are not a household or a conditionally-exempt small quantity universal waste generator, you must follow the rules for universal waste handlers.

Household and Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Universal Waste Generators

If you are a small commercial hazardous waste generator, you also only have to follow the recycling and hazardous waste disposal parts of the universal waste rule; however, you are not subject to rules for training, accumulation time, recordkeeping, or labeling.

Universal Waste Handlers

A universal waste collector or recycler may receive universal waste from another universal waste handler, accumulate universal waste, and send universal waste to another universal waste handler, a facility that accepts hazardous waste, or a foreign country.

Universal Waste Transporters

A universal waste transporter is a person engaged in the offsite transportation of universal waste by air, rail, highway or water. A universal waste transporter may be:

• Universal waste handler carrying universal waste in his or her own vehicle
• A package shipping service (e.g., US Postal Service, FedEx, UPS)
• A commercial carrier (e.g., a trucking company, a hauler specializing in universal waste, or the operator of a destination facility that offers a universal waste pick-up service)

If you do not own or operate a facility that accepts, generates, accumulates, or stores universal waste, but you pick up and transport universal waste (e.g., electronic devices from office complexes) to a recycling or collection facility, you are a universal waste transporter.

Universal waste transporters do not need to notify DTSC or submit annual reports for their transportation activities. Universal waste transporters may store universal waste at a transfer facility for up to 10 days (depending on local zoning). A universal waste transporter who exceeds this limit is considered a universal waste handler and is subject to the universal waste handler requirements.

Destination Facilities

A destination facility is a fully-regulated hazardous waste facility that treats, disposes of, or recycles a specific type of universal waste. Examples of destination facilities are hazardous waste recycling facilities and hazardous waste landfills.

A destination facility shall manage the universal waste in accordance with the requirements and conditions in its hazardous waste facility permit, unless authorized by section 66273.60 of title 22 of the California Code of Regulations to manage it pursuant to the reduced requirements applicable to universal waste handlers.

A destination facility is required to follow certain rules for shipping universal wastes off-site and for rejecting shipments that contain universal waste and is required to keep records of all shipments received for three years. A facility that only accepts and accumulates universal waste is not a destination facility—it is regulated as a universal waste handler.

*Disclaimer

This fact sheet does not replace or supersede relevant statutes and regulations. The information contained in this fact sheet is based upon the statutes and regulations in effect as of the date of the fact sheet. Interested parties should keep apprised of subsequent changes to relevant statutes and regulations.