Do you know if your small business generates hazardous waste? Many business owners don’t realize that they generate hazardous waste. Years of conditioning to convenient yet environmentally irresponsible methods of disposals has allowed tens of thousands of tons of toxic hazardous waste to enter our landfill, our water tables and even our food.
As a generator of hazardous waste, you have tremendous responsibilities. Understanding these wastes and their hazardous characteristics represents an opportunity to “green” your organization. This article will help you identify these types of hazardous waste and to dispose of them correctly and beneficially. Most all businesses generate what is known as Universal Wastes (UW). These types of wastes are the items commonly thrown into the trash by households and small businesses. Universal Wastes include batteries, pesticides, thermostats, fluorescent light bulbs and electronics. The EPA has established a Universal Waste rule that encourages communities and businesses to establish collection programs. This article will focus on two of these wastes and explain the benefits of recycling them. Battering the Environment
Battering the Environment
One major source of toxic waste is batteries. In America, approximately three billion batteries are sold in the US annually, but less than one percent of them are recycled. Eventually, toxic metals – cadmium, copper, zinc, lead, manganese, nickel, and lithium – leach from batteries deposited in landfills, contaminating soil and water. More importantly to human health, many of these pollutants “persist” in the environment, meaning that they do not break down or go away. This is called “bioaccumulation”. This means that a toxin builds up in the food chain and in some cases the toxin can be transported through the food web to humans. Clearly recycling them is essential. Recycling companies reclaim the metals and sell them to back to industry to be reused and recycled again and again saving the environment, money and human health.
Eliminating Electronics
Another important source of toxins is electronic waste. E-waste is among the fastest growing portion of our waste stream due to the rapid obsolescence of technology. E-waste constitutes up to 5% of the US municipal solid waste stream. Computers and other consumer electronics are full of toxic materials extremely dangerous to humans and harmful to the environment if not properly managed. For example, each computer or television display contains an average of 4 to 8 pounds of lead. Additionally, studies estimate that 315 to 600 million desktop and laptop computers in the US will soon be obsolete. A pile of these obsolete computers would reach 2 miles high and cover three acres.
When electronics are improperly disposed of and crushed in landfills, the lead and other toxins are released into the environment, creating a legacy of hazardous waste for future generations. We have all heard the horror stories of E-waste recycling in developing countries where toxic components are openly burned, soaked in acid baths, dumped into rivers and smashed by impoverished workers and children without proper personal protective equipment.
The benefits of proper disposal and recycling of electronics and other forms of Universal Waste include conservation of resources, energy savings, increased worker safety and the reduction of environmental and public health threats including greenhouse gas and other emissions. In the long run, the industry itself will stimulate the development of more green technologies
When you choose to recycle any type of universal waste, it is important to partner with a responsible vendor. This will help you avoid hefty regulatory fines, lawsuits and negative press that can arise from improper disposal. Always ask for chain-of-custody documentation. Chain-of-custody refers to the chronological documentation or the paper trail that shows the collection, custody, transfer and final disposition of the waste. It is also important to find out if a potential recycler is licensed or if they possess any type of environmental certifications.
There are numerous organizations both public and private that will accept Universal Wastes. Most cities have programs in place to help you manage this waste. Call your city for more information and to find the locations of drop-off centers. There are many private recyclers that can be easily found by a quick search of the internet. In additional, there are several local companies that recycle small electronics and components such as old cell phones, toner cartridges and ink jet cartridges. They do this responsibly and in some cases a portion of the profits will go to worthwhile charities, creating a win-win opportunity. So go “green” and identify and manage your small business universal wastes correctly.
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