A medical/surgical waste collection unit, said unit including: a canister (36, 38) for receiving medical/surgical waste; a manifold having a housing (158, 164) with a void space and an outlet opening that allows fluid from said void space into the waste collection unit, the housing (158, 164) having at least one fitting attached to said housing (158, 164) that extends away from said housing (158, 164), said fitting dimensioned to receive a suction line and defining a fluid communications path into the housing void space, and a valve driver; a receiver for removably holding the manifold, the manifold housing (158, 164) dimensioned to fit in the waste collection unit receiver, and said receiver being in fluid communication with said canister (36, 38); a suction pump connected to said canister (36, 38) for drawing a suction through the manifold and said canister (36, 38); and a valve unit attached to said receiver for regulating fluid flow from the manifold to said canister (36, 38), said valve unit having a drive member positioned to be engaged by the manifold; wherein the receiver is configured to allow the manifold to rotate therein, wherein the receiver further has an inlet opening through which waste is flowed into the canister (36, 38); characterized in that said valve unit is rotatable in said receiver to selectively cover the receiver inlet opening in a first rotational position within the manifold receiver or expose the receiver inlet opening in a second rotational position within the manifold receiver, the first rotational position of the valve unit within the manifold receiver allowing the fitting of the manifold into and its removal from the manifold receiver, wherein the valve unit is formed so that the valve drive member is centered along an axis that is radially offset from the longitudinal axis through the valve unit, the axis around which the valve unit is rotatable, and wherein, in the first rotational position of the valve unit within the manifold receiver, the valve drive member is adapted to be engaged by the valve driver of the manifold rotationally positioned in the receiver so that the manifold valve driver aligns with the valve drive member, the manifold valve driver centered along an axis that is off center to the longitudinal axis of the manifold housing (158, 164), and dimensioned to receive the valve drive member and to be displaced upon rotation of the manifold housing (158, 164) in the receiver so that the valve unit undergoes a like rotation into the second rotational position of the valve unit within the manifold receiver, the displacement of the valve drive member moving the valve unit between the first rotational position and the second rotational position. a canister (36, 38) for receiving medical/surgical waste; a manifold having a housing (158, 164) with a void space and an outlet opening that allows fluid from said void space into the waste collection unit, the housing (158, 164) having at least one fitting attached to said housing (158, 164) that extends away from said housing (158, 164), said fitting dimensioned to receive a suction line and defining a fluid communications path into the housing void space, and a valve driver; a receiver for removably holding the manifold, the manifold housing (158, 164) dimensioned to fit in the waste collection unit receiver, and said receiver being in fluid communication with said canister (36, 38); a suction pump connected to said canister (36, 38) for drawing a suction through the manifold and said canister (36, 38); and a valve unit attached to said receiver for regulating fluid flow from the manifold to said canister (36, 38), said valve unit having a drive member positioned to be engaged by the manifold;