Industries produce many types of hazardous and non-hazardous waste, and knowing what to do with waste products can be tricky. Every year, the United States generates about 7.6 billion tons of industrial waste, and it all has to go somewhere.

But what are the different types of waste, and how should you handle them? In this guide, we’ll discuss the difference between hazardous and non-hazardous waste, discuss the various categories of hazardous waste, offer examples of both types, explain how to determine if your business produces hazardous waste and offer tips on what to do about it.

Hazardous waste is waste that poses a severe threat to human health or the environment if improperly disposed of. According to the EPA, a substance is a hazardous waste if it appears on specific lists of hazardous waste or exhibits the established characteristics of hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

Listed wastes appear on one of four official lists: the F, K, P and U lists.

The F list identifies non-source-specific hazardous wastes from common industrial and manufacturing applications. The K list identifies source-specific wastes from specific areas within industry and manufacturing.

The P and U lists define wastes that consist of pure, commercial-grade formulations of specific unused chemicals. To be classified as a P or U waste, a substance must meet the following three criteria:

The P list differs from the U list in that it designates acute hazardous wastes — those that are toxic even at low levels.

The EPA considers characteristic waste to be waste that exhibits any of four properties:

Many pesticides, herbicides, paints, industrial solvents, fluorescent light bulbs and mercury-containing batteries are classified as hazardous wastes. So are medical waste products such as cultures, human tissue, contaminated gloves, sharps and so forth. Below are a few lists of common examples of hazardous wastes by list and category.

The hazardous wastes on the EPA’s F list are divided into seven different categories based on the industrial application from which they originated:

Some common types of spent solvent wastes include tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, carbon tetrachloride and chlorinated fluorocarbons, all of which are spent halogenated solvents used in degreasing.

Some common types of spent non-halogenated solvents include xylene, acetone, ethyl acetate, ethylbenzene, ethyl ether, n-butyl alcohol, methanol, nitrobenzene, toluene, methyl ethyl ketone, isobutanol, pyridine, benzene and many more.

All spent solvent solutions that contain 10 percent or more of any of these substances also qualify, as do still bottoms from the recovery of spent solvents and spent solvent mixtures.

Electroplating and other metal-finishing wastes include spent cyanide bath plating solutions and any plating bath solutions and residues from operations where cyanides have been used. They additionally include wastewater treatment sludges from the chemical coating of aluminum.

Dioxin-containing wastes include wastes from the production of tri-, tetra- or pentachlorophenol or their derivatives, which are usually pesticides. Wastes from the production of tetra-, penta- and hexachlorobenzenes also belong to this category.

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons such as perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene are often used as solvents in dry-cleaning and other industries. Their hazardous wastes include distillation residues, heavy ends, tars, clean-out wastes from reactors, condensed light ends, spent filters and filter aids and spent desiccant waste.

Wood-preserving waste is classified as hazardous waste if it comes from facilities that use the preservative creosote — a potential carcinogen — or arsenic or chromium preservatives. This waste can include process residuals, preservative drippings and spent formulations.

Any sludge created by the separation of oil, water and solids or by oily cooling wastewater during petroleum refining is classified as hazardous waste. These sludges are often generated in separators, tanks, impoundments, ditches, sumps, stormwater units that receive dry weather flow, induced air flotation units and dissolved air flotation units.

Leachate is any liquid that has percolated through waste disposed of on land. Leachate that has flowed through more than one type of waste included on the EPA’s hazardous waste listings is automatically classified as hazardous as well.

The hazardous wastes on the K list, unlike those on the F list, come from specific manufacturing and industrial sectors. Sources for the different types of wastes on the K list fall into one of the following 13 categories:

A few of the common hazardous materials on the K list are the following:

Hazardous wastes on the P list are classified as acute hazardous waste — they are toxic to humans even at low doses or when properly managed. Some examples of the many acute hazardous wastes on the P list include the following:

A few of the common hazardous wastes on the U list are the following:

Non-hazardous waste, by contrast, does not pose a direct threat to human health or the environment, but it still cannot be dumped into a trash receptacle or a sewer line because of the risks it could pose. Most of the waste produced in the United States — paper, plastics, glass, metals, etc. — is non-hazardous waste because it is not toxic by nature.

The RCRA considers the category of solid non-hazardous waste to include garbage and other solid materials, but under this definition, other substances such as slurries, semisolids, liquids and gas containers are considered solid waste as well.

Because non-hazardous waste is more loosely monitored than hazardous waste, it’s difficult to develop precise estimates of how much non-hazardous waste the United States generates every year. However, industry experts believe that, by a large margin, industrial non-hazardous waste the largest category of waste produced annually, on the order of seven billion tons or more. The mining, chemical, metal, and pulp and paper industries have historically generated large amounts of non-hazardous waste, often in the form of wastewater.

The law regulates non-hazardous waste. Even though non-hazardous waste is not inherently harmful to humans or to the local ecosystem or wildlife, it could still pose risks and must be disposed of in a controlled, careful way.

The regulation of non-hazardous waste is largely left to state and local governments, though the federal government will supply finding toward these efforts. The EPA can also review and approve state methods. But generally, states are responsible for granting permits, monitoring landfill use and making sure facilities meet the minimum federal criteria for the disposal of non-hazardous waste.

Disposal methods for non-hazardous wastes vary because there are so many different types of waste and various regulations governing them. Large manufacturing facilities may have private disposal grounds, whereas smaller plants are more likely to use the services of private disposal companies. To get the best information, contact a reputable waste-disposal company. The staff there will be knowledgeable about the collection, transport and disposal of non-hazardous waste and can advise you of the best options for your facility.

Below are some common non-hazardous waste examples:

Non-hazardous waste is not generally toxic, but it has a few concerning ramifications for human health and the environment. Some of the types of non-hazardous waste that give cause for concern include:

For these reasons, it’s essential to engage a professional waste company to handle even your non-hazardous waste. Working with a professional waste company helps ensure proper safety measures are in place to keep humans safe and healthy and the environment minimally disturbed.

It’s essential for facilities to test and analyze waste, so they can make sure they are disposing of their hazardous and non-hazardous waste properly. An experienced, knowledgeable testing laboratory can let you know whether your waste is hazardous or not. Then, you can determine which disposal protocols to follow to get rid of your waste safely and responsibly. Even if you think a particular waste stream is non-hazardous, cross-contamination can occur in a variety of ways. So it’s always a good idea to get a laboratory test and analysis and know for sure.

Disposing of non-hazardous waste is easier than disposing of hazardous waste, and the permitting process is less stringent, as well. So testing your waste may also help you streamline your processes and make waste disposal more convenient if you discover your facility’s waste is non-hazardous.

The EPA suggests a variety of different hazardous waste testing methods, including:

Different methods will be necessary depending on the physical nature of the waste — whether it is aqueous, an oil, a sludge, a solid or any other type. The methods used will also depend on the analytical sensitivity required, the substances of interest, the containers and holding times involved and other factors. A quality laboratory will be able to determine the best tests for your particular waste streams.

Due to the risks associated with hazardous waste disposal, Congress granted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the power to enforce hazardous waste regulations in 1976.

Today, hazardous waste generators, or companies that produce waste, have a responsibility to practice and understand proper hazardous waste management. By adequately managing hazardous products, organizations can ensure the health and safety of their employees and avoid penalties and fines.

Because hazardous waste generators — any person who produces a hazardous waste as listed or characterized in part 261 of title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) — produce waste in different quantities, the EPA established three categories of generators:

State generator categories can differ from the federal categories, and most states are authorized to implement the RCRA program.

The EPA's final rule provides a favorable update to the RCRA hazardous waste generator regulations. The final rule allows for greater comprehensibility and flexibility in how today's businesses manage hazardous waste.

The revisions will:

Hazardous waste generators are responsible for the hazardous products they produce as well as any expenditures affiliated with future releases of that waste.

The EPA established the cradle-to-grave liability for all industries that produce hazardous waste. This liability applies to all hazardous waste generators under the RCRA.

A generator is responsible for their hazardous products from the time they create them until they dispose of them under cradle-to-grave liability, which helps to ensure that facilities choose responsible disposal, storage and treatment methods for the hazardous waste they generate.

Joint and several liability are included in each hazardous waste generator's cradle-to-grave liability. Consequently, if hazardous wastes are released that have been land-disposed or land-filled, every party who has ever put waste into that landfill is responsible for cleanup costs.

Regulations that govern generators include:

If your business is part of a certain industry, it may produce hazardous waste. These liquids, sludges, solids or gaseous materials can harm human health or the environment if disposed of improperly and thrown into landfills.

These are some of the industries that commonly produce hazardous waste and the types of waste they produce, according to the EPA:

Construction and similar industries tend to generate hazardous waste in many different forms, including:

The dry cleaning industry generates several types of chemical and solvent hazardous wastes at different facilities:

Educational and vocational shops can include mechanics’ shops, auto body repair shops, metal shops, woodworking shops and graphic arts plate preparation shops. These facilities generate hazardous wastes, such as ignitable wastes, solvent wastes, paint wastes, acids and bases.

Equipment repair often involves processes, such as degreasing, rust removal, painting, paint removal and more. These processes generate hazardous wastes, such as acids, bases, ignitable wastes, paint wastes and solvents.

Furniture manufacturing and refinishing processes generate several types of hazardous waste, including:

Laboratory applications, including diagnostic testing and other types of medical testing, generate hazardous wastes, such as spent solvents, reaction products and contaminated testing samples, plus materials like human tissue, contaminated gloves, containers, equipment and bandages.

Leather manufacturing generates several hazardous wastes through various procedures, like:

Motor freight and railroad transportation generate a variety of hazardous wastes.

Pesticide users, such as farms and commercial buildings, as well as pest control services, generate hazardous chemical wastes, like used and unused pesticides, solvent wastes, ignitable wastes, contaminated soil, contaminated rinse water and contaminated empty containers.

Photo processing generates hazardous waste through several different processes:

Printing generates hazardous wastes through a variety of applications, including:

A few different processes within the textile manufacturing industry generate hazardous waste:

Several different applications involving vehicle maintenance generate hazardous waste:

Waste requires special handling for several different reasons, including:

With all the rules and regulations in place, waste management is a complicated business. Many companies wish they could shift the burden of waste management from their shoulders to a trusted and reliable source.

Luckily, VLS can help. We can help you find the waste solution that works best for your business, no matter how big or small, and we can help your business meet its sustainability goals, as well. We offer waste transportation and disposal services, along with specific industrial waste management and recycling services. We specialize in a variety of industrial waste.

Contact us today to learn more about our non-hazardous waste management services.