Schools are a regulated business and must follow the Dangerous Waste Regulations for handling the disposal of confiscated vape products. If their waste exceeds the SQG threshold, they must follow the Special Requirements for Management of Dangerous Waste Pharmaceuticals (WAC 173-303-555)[1].
WA state does not have any alternate waste management options to offer at the moment. Fortunately, most private schools appear to confiscate a small amount of these products, so it should be possible to make regular disposal through Moderate Risk Waste (MRW) facilities that are permitted to accept dangerous waste from small quantity generators. They often take household hazardous waste (HHW) as well.
To review the WA State Department of Ecology webinar on Issues with Disposing of Vape Products from December, check out the session recording here. And the chat question response document here.
