It is not a new revelation to anyone that the garbage and waste that we generate are now turning into a serious issue. It is contributing enormously towards global warming, and ozone layer depletion and we have started witnessing the impacts already. This is why proper waste removal and waste disposal services are critical, as they will ensure that all types of garbage including the hazardous waste is collected and disposed safely. It must be assured that it does not impact the environment.

Hazardous waste generated from different sources is more challenging to deal with, but at the same time, its safe and responsible disposal is essential. This can be simplified by understanding the tips to identify hazardous waste, and every homeowner, business owner, and facility owner must be aware of the steps to dispose of it safely. This report covers some crucial aspects of hazardous waste disposal, and we will learn how to handle and classify this waste in Australia.

DEFINING HAZARDOUS WASTE

Hazardous waste is a term used to define any waste material that can be potentially harmful to humans, flora and fauna, aquatics, animals and our overall nature. This can include discarded chemicals and other types of waste generated from commercial, industrial and institutional activities. Waste removal experts use this term to identify any waste that has cleaning solvents, acids and bases, metal finishes, waste paint, sludge and other discarded materials. This can also include several items that we think are not hazardous or harmful for humans, but actually they are. This includes –

• Batteries as they contain acids and bases, as well as metals like lead and cadmium

• CRT-based computer monitors as they contain lead

• Thermostats and fluorescent lamps as they contain mercury

• Renovation and demolition waste as they have lead-waste paints

EXAMPLES OF HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE INCLUDE:

• Solvent-waste paints

• Pesticides and other garden chemicals

• Batteries (car, mobile phone or regular household batteries)

• Motor oils (from cars or mowers)

• Petrol and kerosene

• Cleaning and polishing chemicals

• Swimming pool or spa bath chemicals

• Pharmaceuticals (all medicines)

• Obsolete computer equipment

• Thermometers, barometers, thermostats, fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent globes (CFLs).

According to waste removal experts, certain types of waste materials that they collect are tagged as hazardous, as they exhibit specific physical properties and characteristics. These characteristics make it easy for waste removal experts and waste management companies to categorise them as 'hazardous'. These four characteristics are Ignitibility, Corrosivity, Reactivity and Toxicity and a brief description related to them is provided below.

IGNITABLE WASTE MATERIALS

If any particular waste material is ignitable, like a liquid with a flashpoint below 140 degrees Fahrenheit or a solid waste material that is flammable, it will be tagged as a 'hazardous material'. Similarly, if compressed gas is ignitable or the waste material is tagged as an oxidiser, it will fall in the 'hazardous waste' category.

CORROSIVE WASTE MATERIAL

If the corrosive waste material is aqueous or water and has a pH of 2.0 or lower, it will be called 'hazardous waste'. If the corrosivity rate is greater than 1/4th of an inch per year, it will be graded as 'hazardous waste'.

WHAT IS REACTIVE WASTE?

Reactive waste can be of different types, and the most common are unstable waste materials that can react with water to form a hazardous mixture. Waste materials that release toxic cyanide or sulphide gases under certain conditions and are more explosive are also tagged as hazardous waste. Waste materials that can detonate under certain conditions will also be tagged as hazardous waste by waste removal experts.

WHAT IS TOXIC WASTE?

Toxic waste is waste that contains any of the 40 different kinds of hazardous constituents at a concentration equal to or greater than the fixed amount. These constituents include eight metals, six pesticides, two herbicides, 10 volatile organic compounds, and 14 semi-volatile organic compounds.

WASTE MATERIALS, UNIVERSALLY KNOWN AS HAZARDOUS WASTE

Several bulk waste materials selected by waste removal experts are tagged as 'hazardous' throughout the globe under the set regulation called THE UNIVERSAL WASTE RULE. Details of these hazardous waste materials are provided below.

BATTERIES

Covered batteries, including lead-acid batteries, cadmium batteries, silver cells, and mercury-containing batteries, are all tagged as hazardous waste worldwide. Similarly, cancelled and recalled pesticides and insecticides also fall under the category of hazardous waste. This mainly includes pesticides subject to EPA recall, and suspended and cancelled pesticides are also hazardous waste materials.

LAMPS

Any kind of lamp used for lighting purposes falls under the category of hazardous waste materials. These include fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps, LED lamps, neon lamps, mercury vapour lamps, high-intensity discharge lamps, high-pressure sodium lamps, and metal halide lamps. All these types of lamps and lighting solutions must be handled very carefully and disposed of safely while not affecting the environment at all.

USED ELECTRONICS

This hazardous waste category includes any electronic device with a printed circuit board or a cathode ray tube [CRT]. If the device is used for data transfer, storage, communication, or entertainment, it will be tagged as 'hazardous waste'.

This includes (but is not limited to) desktop and laptop computers, computer peripherals, monitors, copying machines, scanners, printers, radios, televisions, camcorders, video cassette recorders ("VCRs"), compact disc players, digital video disc players, MP3 players, telephones (including cellular and portable phones), and stereos.

USED OIL

Waste removal experts tag used oil as 'hazardous waste' when the term 'used oil' means oil refined from crude oil or synthetic oil that has some physical or chemical contaminants or impurities. Oil that is no longer suitable for use for which it was actually manufactured is also tagged as 'hazardous waste' material. If the oil has lost its original properties due to impurities and contaminants, it should be discarded as a 'hazardous waste' material.

Common examples of used oils include:

• Used crankcase (engine) oil

• Brake fluid, transmission fluid, and power steering fluid

• Used gear, chain, and ball-bearing lubricants

• Hydraulic and compressor oils

• Metalworking fluids (including water-soluble coolants)

• Drawing and stamping oils

• Heat transfer oils (including quenching oils)

• Dielectric fluid (e.g., transformer oil)

Waste removal experts have the huge responsibility of managing hazardous waste properly, as if not done properly, it can result in soil, groundwater, and surface water contamination.

The fact is that just a quarter of oil can make over a million gallons of drinking water unfit to drink. It will block necessary oxygen and sunlight from moving through the water's surface, and the hydrocarbons will harm the flora and fauna and the aquatic life and its reproduction. Used oil spilled on the ground can kill plants and is very toxic to pets and wildlife. This is why waste removal experts stress the proper testing, storage, transportation, recycling, and safe disposal of used oil. This should not be done through DIY, as effective results will not be generated, and the hazardous materials will continue contaminating the soil, air and water.

Categorising Hazardous Waste and How Waste Removal Experts Handle Them