• Introduction
• Does my business produce hazardous waste?
• What should my business do with its hazardous waste?
• Go to lists of hazardous waste collection services
• Further information

Introduction

The Hazardous Waste Regulations first came into effect for industrial and commercial producers on 16th July 2005. They define types of waste that must be handled differently from conventional waste because they are potentially harmful to the environment and/or human health (i.e. explosive, flammable, corrosive, irritant, toxic, carcinogenic, infectious etc). Under the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005, it is an offence to produce hazardous waste at premises, or remove hazardous waste from premises, unless those premises are either registered with the Environment Agency or are exempt. From 2005 to 2009, premises which produced less than 200kg of hazardous waste a year were exempt from the requirement to register.

The 2005 Hazardous Waste Regulations were amended on 6 April 2009. For businesses the main change was the increase in the threshold for registration, from 200kg per year to 500kg per year.

• More details on registration can be found on the Environment Agency's registrations page .
• More details about the 2009 amendments can be found here .

If your business produces hazardous waste you are legally obliged to make sure that it is stored, transported and disposed of properly.

Does my business produce hazardous waste?

Almost all businesses will produce some hazardous waste, for example:

• office waste - fluorescent tubes, energy-saving light bulbs, sodium lamps, toner and ink jet cartridges from printers and photocopiers and old computer monitors.
• garage waste - lead acid batteries, contaminated rags, used oil/fuel filters, aerosols, antifreeze and brake fluids and tyres

For some waste items, such as batteries or fluorescent tubes, it is fairly obvious that they contain potentially harmful substances. For others, it may not be clear. To help you, the Environment Agency provides detailed information and guidance .

What should my business do with its hazardous waste?

Each type of hazardous material requires different protocols for collection, storage, and transfer and it is important to ensure that the different materials are correctly labelled and packaged for storage or transport.

Storage

All hazardous waste must be stored securely to prevent pollution.

Hazardous waste may be stored on the site where it was produced for up to 12 months while waiting for collection, without an environmental permit or waste management licence. The maximum amount of hazardous waste you can store is:

• 80 cubic metres of hazardous waste in secure containers
• 50 cubic metres of hazardous waste in a secure place
• 23,000 litres of liquid hazardous waste at any one time.

Liquid hazardous waste should be stored in a dedicated, bunded area with enough space for inspection and access. It is recommended that stores are inspected at least weekly for leaks, deteriorating containers and any other problems.

Disposal

Infrastructure is in place to safely transport and process hazardous waste. Whenever hazardous waste is moved or transferred it must be

• transported by a registered or exempt waste carrier
• accompanied by a consignment note
• transferred to a facility that holds a suitable environmental permit

If you produce hazardous waste you must keep copies of consignment notes for three years. Click here for further information on consignment notes

The Environment Agency Public Register allows you to identify carriers who are registered or have an exemption

There are many services offering collection, transfer and disposal or recycling of hazardous waste. Most will be able to offer you advice on storage and labelling of waste as well as transporting it, and can provide you with consignment notes. Click here for a list of companies offering general and specialised hazardous waste collection services.

Further Information

Envirowise offers a guide to Practical Ways to Manage and Minimise Hazardous Waste

Under the European Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures, between 2009 and 2015 the labelling and packaging of dangerous substances is changing significantly. New 'Indications of Danger' symbols must be used from specific dates, but may also be used voluntarily from January 2009. Those who currently use 'category of danger' symbols as a means of recognising dangerous chemicals should ensure that they are familiar with the new symbols.

Further information on the current UK regulations regarding the packaging and supply of dangerous chemicals can be found on the CHIP pages of the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) website.

Information on the regulations regarding the manufacturing and importing of chemicals can be found on the HSE's REACH web pages.

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