We dispose of most of our trash without a second thought. Just toss it in the basket or bin, take it down to the curb, and the trucks haul it all away. But there are some items that you can’t dispose of or dismiss so easily. You need to handle hazardous waste—or waste that’s toxic, ignitable, corrosive, or reactive— differently. Here are four tips for proper hazardous waste disposal.
Label It
When you get rid of certain kinds of waste, make sure there are identifying marks alerting others to the danger. Some wastes require easily identified containers for disposal, such as sharps containers for disposable syringes and similar medical waste. Sharps containers are bright red and marked with biohazard warnings. In most states, you can throw them in with the regular trash, but check to be sure.
Save a Space
Until your waste is ready for disposal, keep it in a special place where it’s safe and secure. Obviously, you need to keep flammable or explosive items far from heat sources with clear warning signage and a containment system to reduce the possibility of a reaction. Ensure containers don’t leak and can resist the effects of water, sunlight, and the like. But don’t store it for long!
Keep Track
While you’re waiting for a waste disposal professional to pick up the waste, don’t ignore it. Conduct regular inspections of the site, containers, and surroundings to watch for potential threats and containment issues to address. If you’re working in a facility that creates massive amounts of waste, you’ll need to do inspections in anticipation of inspections conducted by health and safety, environmental, and government agencies. Make sure they don’t find any problems because it’ll cost you in terms of fines, lost time, and more.
Find a Waste Disposal Company
For larger amounts of hazardous material generated by factories and other facilities, you’ll need to contract a respectable waste disposal company that can pack, gather, transport, and dispose of the waste in a safe and secure manner. Get recommendations from other businesses you trust about who they use. Look into the company’s background and note whether they’re honest and trustworthy or have had troubling incidents in their background regarding accidents or environmental damage. Draw up a contract and insist on receiving a certificate of destruction as proof that the company did the job right.
Those are four tips for proper hazardous waste disposal. Establish a set of standards for your home or facility to ensure you, your employees, and the community all stay safe!
