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Guidelines for Disposal of Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste has immediate or long-term risks to humans, animals, plants or the environment. Because of this, it is unsafe to dispose it with general waste and needs specific disposal methods. Identifying the most common types of household and business hazardous wastes is the first step. Knowing the basic guidelines of disposal will make it easier for you to protect yourself, your family and our environment.

  1. Household Hazardous Waste

    • Household waste is considered hazardous if it is labeled toxic, ignitable, corrosive or reactive. Some of the common ones are gasoline, brake and windshield wiper fluid, cleaning products, creosote products, paints, paint thinners, pesticides and herbicides.

    Business Hazardous Waste

    • Hazardous waste from business is waste from medical, nursing, dental, veterinary or pharmaceutical practices. These often include needles, human tissue, body fluids or blood, laboratory specimens or cultures, carcasses, laboratory equipment, chemical and radioactive waste.

    Identification and Packaging

    • Keep household hazardous waste in their original containers and do not mix it with different products. If you are forced to move products from their original containers for storage, label the new containers carefully for future identification.

      Hazardous waste from business needs to be packed in plastic bags or containers that are easily identified by the color coding identifying the type of waste inside them. Biohazardous waste is packed in yellow containers or plastic bags with the black international biohazard symbol on them. Radioactive waste is packed in red plastic bags or containers with the black international radioactive symbol and cell toxic waste, also called cytotoxic waste, is packed in violet plastic bags or containers labeled with the international cell toxic waste symbol.

    Storage

    • Keep all flammable products out of direct sunlight and away from heat, sparks or flames. Store all containers in an upright position in a cardboard box instead of plastic bags and place leaking containers in a larger plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.

      All hazardous waste generated by business needs to be stored in a safe and secure location. Waste identified as high or extremely risky should not be stored with the rest of hazardous waste. This kind of waste needs to be picked up by special arrangement, possibly outside of the regular hazardous waste pickup.

    Disposal

    • The safest way to dispose of household hazardous waste is to either contact a hazardous waste pickup company in your community or bring it to a household hazardous waste collection site if one exists. Depending on where you live both services might have a fee. It is, however, illegal to leave hazardous waste for curbside pickup.

      Hazardous waste generated by businesses is collected and disposed by an authorized waste contractor who will collect the waste on a scheduled date from the designated location.

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