020 7001 6000Bywaters offers Recycling and Resource Management services for all hazardous wastes. We can provide appropriate storage, collection and disposal services tailored to specific waste streams.
For information or advice on any aspect of hazardous waste management, please contact our Environment Team.
What counts as hazardous waste?
With the introduction of the Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005, the number of wastes has increased substantially. These waste materials can be removed only from sites registered as hazardous waste producers with the Environment Agency. Registration can be done online using the following website www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
As is the case with any controlled waste, these can be transported by an authorised carrier only.
Some of the more common hazardous waste include:
- Chemicals - includes acids, alkalis. Water treatment and boiler treatment chemicals are quite common
- Resource materials contaminated with dangerous substances (for example cloths, wipes and clothing contaminated from spills of dangerous materials)
- Car batteries - made of lead/lead oxide plates and sulphuric acid electrolyte
- Household batteries
- Oils (except edible oil, that is cooking oil)
- Oily rags and absorbent granules (from oil spills)
- Fuels - petrol, diesel
- Coal tar and tarred products
- Soil from excavations (if contaminated with dangerous materials)
- Track Ballast (containing dangerous substances)
- Insulation material containing asbestos
- Construction materials containing asbestos
- Solvents
- Paints, inks and adhesives containing dangerous substances
- Discarded equipment containing chlorofluorocarbons (for example older refrigerators and freezers)
- Cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines
- Equipment containing mercury (thermometers, sphygmomanometers etc)
- Sodium lamps (typically from street lighting)
- Cathode ray tubes, computer monitors and television sets
- Fluorescent tubes
Resource producer requirement
It is the responsibility of the waste producer to give an adequate and accurate description of the waste, including the appropriate European Resource Catalogue (EWC) code number. Details of waste descriptions can be found at the Environment Agency's EWC list.
It is imperative that hazardous and non-hazardous waste materials are not placed in the same container for removal. At the very least, it would mean that the entire load would require to be consigned as hazardous, with an appreciable economic penalty by way of increased charges for disposal.
For information or advice on any aspect of hazardous waste management, please contact our Environment Team.
