My lab actually did have 88-gallon barrels for waste; one each for aqueous waste, organic waste, and ether waste. Ether waste was kept separate because we produ

My lab actually did have 88-gallon barrels for waste; one each for aqueous waste, organic waste, and ether waste. Ether waste was kept separate because we produced a lot of it and because it had to be treated with preservatives to prevent the formation of explosive peroxides. Anywho, the old base had to be (gently) neutralized with acid before being dumped into the aqueous waste barrel. This had to be done slowly because exothermicity and dissolution heat. Iirc, the waste barrels were taken back by Sigma Aldrich, to be batched, filtered, and re-distilled into reagent-grade solvents. Circle of life.