Hazardous Waste
Waste is considered to be hazardous when it contains substances or properties that make it carcinogenic, caustic, corrosive, ecotoxic, flammable, harmful, infectious, irritant, mutagenic, toxic or an oxidising agent. This means that these wastes cannot be disposed of in general waste containers.
Items include (but are not restricted to): antifreeze, adhesives, batteries, contaminated rags and wipes, fire extinguishers, fluorescent tubes, inks, paints, oils, solvents and varnishes
(full itemised list can be found at http://www.sepa.org.uk/).
At Oran ES, we can advise you on the most appropriate disposal solution and treatment for your hazardous waste through our FREE on-site Waste Audit.
Hazardous Waste FAQs
What are the Hazardous Waste Regulations?
The Hazardous Waste Regulations (England and Wales) came into force on 16th July 2005 and made extensive changes to existing legislation to ensure that waste is recovered or disposed of without endangering human health and without using processes or methods which could harm the environment and in particular:
- Without risk to water, air, soil and plants and animals
- Without causing a nuisance through noise or odours
- Without adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest
(Statutory Instrument 2005. No.894. The Hazardous Waste, England and Wales, Regulations. 2005.)
How have the regulations changed?
The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 principally widened the scope of the exemption from hazardous waste producer registration, affecting England only to date. Regulations now state that:
- All types of premises that produce hazardous waste are now exempt from registration if no more than 500kg of hazardous waste is produced in a year.
- These changes only affect England. The Welsh Assembly Government is consulting on changes to the Hazardous Waste (Wales) Regulations 2005 and the consultation can be found on the Welsh Assembly Government web site.
Who must comply?
Under legislation, producers must separate hazardous waste from their general waste stream and procure a licensed hazardous waste disposal, transport and treatment facility to diligently monitor and record disposal and recovery information. The Environment Agency, who must also receive copies of these records, can pay regular visits to assess compliance and registration of sites producing and disposing of hazardous wastes. Unregistered sites will also be frequented, and penalties imposed on companies that fail to comply with regulation codes.
If you have any queries regarding waste, hazardous or non hazardous please contact one of our experts.
Some Useful Links
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/
