A waste liquid absorption material is laid within a waste liquid receptacle, and a portion of the waste liquid absorption material into which liquid flows is heated, causing the temperature of that portion to rise. This makes it possible to instigate a temperature difference between one side and the other side of capillary tubes within the waste liquid absorption material through which the liquid permeates, which makes it easy for the liquid to move from the high-temperature side to the low-temperature side of the waste liquid absorption material due to the thermocapillary phenomenon. This in turn makes it possible to increase the speed at which the liquid is absorbed by the waste liquid absorption material.