How to Reduce Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste includes anything that ignites when at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, is very acidic or basic, reacts with water or produces cyanide when it reacts or is toxic. This waste could cost small businesses a lot of money to get it hauled away. Having a pollution prevention (P2) program and reducing the amount of waste after generation can help reduce the hazardous waste you produce. Read on to learn more.
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Instructions
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Implement a P2 Program
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1
Plan your P2 Program. A P2 Program should be designed to reduce the amount of waste your facility produces. This means buying and using less materials.
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2
Conduct a waste stream assessment. You cannot solve your hazardous waste and pollution problem without first knowing what's in the waste you produce.
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3
Determine what actions you can take to reduce this waste. This may include trying to use less of a certain chemical. You may also consider treating the waste at your facility. To do this, you can try any of the methods in Section 2 or apply for a permit to use more sophisticated hazardous waste reducing methods.
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4
Train your staff to follow the actions you settled on in Step 3, and conduct follow-up evaluations to ensure you have actually reduced your pollution and hazardous waste output.
Reduce Your Waste After Production
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5
Get a permit or contact your local and state government before trying any of these methods. According to the U.S. EPA, you can use any of these methods to reduce your hazardous waste, but the law also says that the state and local governments will have final say in the matter. Make sure you understand your local laws before trying to treat your waste without a permit.
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6
Neutralize your waste. This method only works to change the pH of your hazardous waste. If your waste has a pH below 2 or above 12.5, it is considered hazardous, and using elementary neutralization units, described further in EPA law 40 CFR 260.10, can adjust your pH.
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7
Recycle your waste. Some solvents and other chemicals can be recycled and reused on site. According to EPA 40 CFR 261.6(c)(1), recycling is "exempt from regulation."
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8
Treat your waste in the tanks in which you store it. Some allowable treatments include precipitating out the metals that make your waste hazardous or conducting oxidation-reduction reactions that will change the chemical makeup of your waste.
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Tips & Warnings
All states and local governments have different regulations and definitions of what they consider to be hazardous waste. The definition used in this article comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Contact your local and state governments for more specific information about the regulations for which they will hold you accountable.
All of these processes require trained and knowledgeable personnel. After all, you're working with hazardous waste. Do not try any chemical reaction you are not qualified to conduct.
