Ferric chloride etchant can be safely poured down the drain if it is neutralised with washing soda and filtered to remove the precipitated copper. Alternatively, it can be mixed with a proprietary neutralising compound and disposed of as solid waste. The etchant itself is quite harmless; It is the copper ions which pose an environmental hazard.

Many alternative etchants (e.g. cupric chloride) have an indefinite working life and so pose no disposal issues.