Abstract: A dental amalgam separator operates to filter and trap mercury-containing waste, thus preventing the contamination of a downstream facility such as a municipal water treatment plant. The present invention employs a vertically-oriented pleated filter in a housing having an interior wall that tapers inward such that, at a bottom of the filter element, practically no space exists between the housing and the filter element. Such a design minimizes stagnant or void volume. This provides for an effective filter in a compact volume, thereby reducing disposal costs of the mercury-containing hazardous waste.