Every company produces waste, but hazardous waste is a different challenge altogether. You need to know which waste is hazardous and how to dispose of it safely and legally.
In this blog, we delve into the crucial aspects of hazardous waste management, from understanding what constitutes hazardous waste to the stringent regulations governing its disposal in the UK.
Whether you’re a small business owner or part of a larger corporation, understanding hazardous waste management is key to protecting the environment, your employees, and your business.
What Is Hazardous Waste?
Hazardous waste represents a major environmental challenge. Considering its various characteristics and categories, it is vital to recognise what qualifies as hazardous waste.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines hazardous waste as any material whose composition or properties might harm human health or the environment. These materials do not have to pose an immediate risk to be classified as hazardous waste.
Hazardous waste can include everyday items like batteries, cleaning agents, paint tins, and more specialised and harmful items like medical waste and asbestos chemicals.
What Are the Different Types of Hazardous Waste?
In the UK, hazardous waste undergoes classification into distinct categories based on its properties and origin. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Chemical Waste
This waste type comprises substances with flammability, corrosiveness, toxicity, reactivity, or other significant risks.
Examples of chemical waste include:
- Acids and alkalis, which can cause severe burns and damage to skin and eyes.
- Solvents, which are potentially flammable and harmful upon inhalation, and can damage the nervous system.
- Paints and varnishes which often contain harmful chemicals like lead and mercury.
- Pesticides and herbicides which are toxic to humans and wildlife.
Requires special handling and disposal due to its hazardous nature.
Biological Waste
This hazardous waste type comprises materials posing infection or disease risks.
Examples of biological waste include:
- Medical waste such as syringes, needles, and bandages.
- Laboratory waste including cultures and tissues.
- Animal waste from research or agriculture.
Must be treated and disposed of in a way that minimizes the risk of infection.
Radioactive Waste
This waste type comprises materials emitting ionising radiation, which is harmful to human health and the environment.
Examples of radioactive waste include:
- Spent nuclear fuel from power plants.
- Radioactive materials used in medical diagnosis, treatment, and industrial processes.
Specialised storage and disposal facilities are essential due to radioactivity’s long-lasting effects.
Other Hazardous Wastes
This waste type comprises diverse materials not fitting chemical, biological, or radioactive classifications but posing threats to health or the environment.
Examples of other hazardous wastes include:
- Asbestos, which can cause severe lung diseases.
- Electrical waste like computers and televisions which can contain hazardous components.
- Explosives such as fireworks and ammunition.
Specific handling and disposal procedures vary depending on the waste type.
This list isn’t exhaustive, and other hazardous waste types exist beyond these categories. If you’re unsure about the hazardous nature of your waste, it’s best to err on the side of caution.
Further information is available on the Environment Agency and local council websites, or you can get in touch with our team of hazardous waste experts for guidance.
How Is Hazardous Waste Identified?
If you’re not sure if your company is producing hazardous waste, there are several steps you can take to find out. These methods ensure any hazardous waste produced is identified and disposed of properly, keeping your team and business safe.
Here are a few methods you can try to identify hazardous waste:
- Waste classification code: These codes, often referred to as the List of Waste (LoW) or European Waste Catalogue (EWC) codes, provide a standardised way to identify the type of waste. Each code corresponds to a specific type of waste, indicating if it is hazardous.
- Safety data sheets: Manufacturers and suppliers provide these sheets containing detailed information about the hazards associated with a substance and recommendations for its disposal.
- Container labels: Hazardous materials are often stored in containers bearing specific labelling. The presence of orange and black danger symbols (older system) or red and white hazard pictograms indicates the nature of the hazard.
- Laboratory testing: For uncertain cases, sending samples to a laboratory for analysis can accurately determine if the waste is hazardous.
- Expert consultation: A waste management specialist or contractor can provide tailored advice on handling and disposing of specific types of waste.
Hazport also offers a mobile chemist service to identify, classify and pack chemical waste for you. This helps you stay on top of your hazardous waste, so you don’t have to worry about incorrectly classifying it.
What Are the Hazardous Waste Regulations?
In the UK, the disposal and management of certain types of hazardous waste are governed by stringent regulations, with serious repercussions for non-compliance, including hefty fines or imprisonment.
The regulatory framework varies slightly across different regions of the UK:
- England and Wales: The principal legislation is the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005, which sets out the guidelines for handling hazardous waste.
- Scotland: The regulatory framework is defined by The Special Waste Regulations 1996, amended in 2004 to address evolving waste management needs.
- Northern Ireland: Like England and Wales, Northern Ireland adheres to the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005.
These regulations collectively aim to ensure that organisations responsibly manage hazardous waste, preventing harm to the environment or public health.
You need to:
- Classification: Carry out accurate identification of waste types to ascertain their properties and associated risks.
- Safe storage: Store hazardous waste in a secure container to prevent accidental release or contamination.
- Authorised transportation: Collect and transport waste materials by licensed hazardous waste carriers.
- Proper disposal: Use disposal methods that adhere to safety standards so hazardous wastes are not in the same landfill site as non-hazardous waste.
- Traceability: Maintain records throughout the waste management process to ensure accountability and adherence to regulations.
The obligations vary depending on an entity’s role in the waste management cycle, whether as a producer, transporter, or waste disposer.
For more detailed information about the responsibilities and guidelines for each role, it’s advisable to consult the GOV UK website. This ensures that those engaged in hazardous waste management are fully informed and compliant with the legal framework.
How Do You Dispose of Hazardous Waste Safely?
Business owners are legally obligated to manage hazardous waste with the utmost care, including adhering to hazardous waste collection guidelines, storing waste properly, and ensuring it meets waste acceptance criteria before specialist disposal.
Identify Hazardous Waste
As discussed earlier, the disposal process begins with accurately identifying and labelling hazardous waste to ensure it’s handled according to its specific risks. It’s essential to store waste securely on the premises, in compliance with safety standards, to prevent leaks or contamination and further environmental damage.
Collect Hazardous Waste
When it comes to hazardous waste collection, it’s crucial to hire licensed waste carriers equipped to handle such materials safely. This phase also involves fulfilling the waste acceptance criteria, ensuring the waste is suitable for the intended disposal method.
Dispose of Hazardous Waste
The final step is specialist disposal facilities, where waste is treated or disposed of to minimise environmental impact. For example, some forms of chemical waste can be neutralised of their hazardous elements.
Recycle Hazardous Waste
Some hazardous waste includes recyclable materials, like metal and plastic. These can be recovered during the collection process before the hazardous waste is disposed of.
Throughout this process, you must adhere to legal and environmental standards to prevent harm and maintain compliance, from storing waste to its recycling and ultimate disposal. This comprehensive approach to hazardous waste management underscores the importance of each step in safeguarding the environment and public health.
What Will Happen if You Don’t Dispose of Hazardous Waste Correctly?
Improper disposal of hazardous waste can lead to severe environmental and legal consequences. Such negligence can result in widespread pollution affecting water, land, and air, leading to health issues in humans and animals and causing significant environmental damage, including biodiversity loss.
The risks extend to potential fires, explosions, and toxic fume emissions, posing immediate physical dangers and further contamination.
Legally, businesses face stringent repercussions, including prosecution, fines, and possible imprisonment, as such actions violate environmental regulations.
Financially, the costs are substantial, covering fines, compensation claims, and the expenses of cleanup operations, not to mention increased insurance premiums.
Additionally, a company’s reputation can suffer greatly, especially if incidents are publicised, leading to loss of business and long-term reputational damage.
These outcomes highlight the importance of adhering to proper hazardous waste disposal methods to avoid such detrimental impacts.
Do You Need Help Classifying or Disposing of Your Hazardous Waste?
Hazport focuses on providing top-tier hazardous waste disposal solutions tailored to the unique needs of diverse clients like pharmaceutical manufacturers, laboratories, and construction companies.
Hazport ensures your needs are met with proactive solutions while maintaining traceability and accountability of waste materials through a comprehensive digital database.
