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What Constitutes RCRA Waste?

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was written not only to control hazardous waste, but also to provide guidelines for the proper handling of all waste. Waste is basically unwanted or unusable matter that has been discarded by the owner. The act gives the EPA the responsibility and authority to monitor and control all waste.

  1. Construction Debris

    • The debris generated by construction and demolition projects is considered non-hazardous waste. Construction waste includes items such as concrete, wood, asphalt, glass and all other non-recoverable material discarded from construction or demolition sites. This waste usually winds up in a landfill. An aggressive recycling program can conserve landfill space and may reduce the overall cost of the project.

    Industrial Waste

    • Non-hazardous industrial solid waste discarded by industrial facilities includes organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, primary iron and steel, plastics, resin, stone, clay, glass, concrete, pulp, paper and food. As with construction projects, industrial recycling programs can reduce the amount of generated waste and cut manufacturing costs.

    Municipal Waste

    • Residential recycling programs can be an effective method to conserve landfill space, and may be a source of revenue to participating municipalities. Municipal solid waste is the trash or garbage discarded from residences and from schools, hospitals and other businesses. Waste items consist of everyday items thrown in the trash. Items as varied as product packaging, appliances, grass clippings and food scraps are dumped into the landfills on a daily basis.

    Medical Waste

    • Non-hazardous waste discarded from health-care facilities and medical-research facilities and laboratories is considered medical waste. Medical waste is further defined by the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 as "any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals." This act was designed to keep track of medical waste, which includes blood-soaked bandages, culture dishes and other glassware, discarded surgical gloves and instruments, discarded needles used to give shots or draw blood, and even removed bodily organs. The act's regulations expired in 1991, but special packaging and handling of medical waste is still required.

    Hazardous Waste

    • Waste that is dangerous or potentially harmful to health or the environment is considered hazardous waste. These can be liquids, solids or gasses. Manufacturing process byproducts or discarded commercial products such as cleaning fluids or pesticides may be particularly hazardous. The EPA uses several testing methods to monitor hazardous waste disposal.

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