Disposing of hazardous and non-hazardous waste is critical for public safety, yet there are many misconceptions that affect the way businesses handle waste disposal. Learn 3 common misconceptions about hazardous waste disposal that could cost your business.
- Products that are labeled as non-hazardous can be thrown away
If hazardous waste has special disposal regulations, then anything that is labeled non-hazardous can be thrown away, right? Wrong.
All waste requires evaluation prior to disposal, so it cannot simply be thrown away like household garbage. Some waste facilities classify business waste as industrial waste, which is subject to additional regulations. This can sometimes mean that things cannot be tossed in the trash as you might assume.
- There is no paper trail required for non-hazardous industrial waste
While hazardous waste is required to have “cradle to grave” paper trails, this does not mean that non-hazardous industrial waste needs no tracking. It also needs cradle to grave tracking, and failure to keep the right documentation could negatively impact your business.
As a best practice, check with the disposal vendor before you ship waste. Find out what paperwork is required and whether they assess an additional fee for this.
- Once waste has been sent to a recycling facility, the facility is responsible for it
It seems logical that once you dispose of waste, the waste handler takes responsibility for it and your business is off the hook. Unfortunately, cradle to grave responsibility rests with the waste generator — aka, your business — until the waste is recycled or destroyed. If the waste disposal provides does something unethical with your company’s waste, you could be legally liable.
For these reasons, it is critical that you choose a reliable waste disposal company for hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
