Hazardous Waste Disposal: Safe Handling and Disposal Guidelines

**Please note, Cheapest Load of Rubbish can’t accept all hazardous waste. Please check with your local council first and then enquire with us to check what we can take. Please contact your local council for council clean-ups in your area.**

You might be surprised to learn just how many items around the house or job site are considered hazardous waste. Hazardous waste items can’t be dropped in any bin, they require safe handling and careful disposal to ensure they don’t contaminate soil, or waterways, or impact the local wildlife. So, you must familiarise yourself with the hazardous waste around you and learn how to handle and dispose of it properly. 

What is Hazardous Waste and Why Proper Disposal Matters 

The most obvious hazardous waste includes paints, solvents, electronic waste, pesticides, and batteries. 

Explosives, poisons, infectious substances, flammable liquids and solids are also hazardous waste. In addition, water or waste that contains cadmium, lead, copper, asbestos, zinc, and mercury. Wastes from producing metals, plastics, latex, resins, glues, and adhesives. 

All of these require careful handling to protect public health. 

Why? 

They represent a clear danger to the public. If you dispose of hazardous waste incorrectly, it can contaminate the soil and pollute water. If chemicals are left to leach into soil, they affect plant growth and could also enter the food chain. There’s also a risk of them entering the water system, which is a danger to the water treatment process and aquatic life.

Safe Handling

When it comes to safe handling, hazardous waste should never be decanted into other containers, as they should always be properly labelled. You should wear the correct protective gear when handling and ensure the item is secured in a well-ventilated area. 

The first step is to check local regulations to ensure you know how your local council deals with a particular item. If you don’t feel comfortable handling and disposing of the items yourself, you can use an approved collection company to handle the uplift. As long as the company is licensed, they will have a trained team of professionals on hand to dispose of each item correctly. 

Do not throw your hazardous waste in the bin, pour chemicals down the drain, mix it with different waste, abandon it curbside, or ignore the warning labels.

How To Handle a Spill 

If you accidentally spill an item classified as hazardous waste, there are steps to follow. 

If it is immediately hazardous to health or dangerous, evacuate the area and contain the spill. An absorbent material like kitty litter or sand is useful to keep on hand. The product label or safety data sheet should detail the proper steps for a safe cleanup, and ensure you follow these exactly, including wearing the correct personal protective equipment. 

Everything contaminated by the spill should be placed in a sealed container and must be disposed of at the designated waste facility for this specific hazardous waste. 

If you’re dealing with a large spill or you’re unsure how to proceed, contact a hazardous waste professional (or the local emergency services) to assist.

Proper Hazardous Rubbish Removal in Sydney 

Batteries of any type should be recycled at designated recycling facilities or specific pop-up drop-off points throughout the city.  

There are also official drop-off sites and waste collection facilities for oil-based paints, while solvents should be taken to municipal hazardous waste programs. 

If you have garden pesticides on your hands and you’re not sure what to do with them, there are special events that welcome a range of hazardous wastes including pesticides. 

Medications are also hazardous waste and it doesn’t matter whether it’s expired or you simply no longer take that specific medication, it should be disposed of properly. Not only could birds and other wildlife be impacted by improper disposal, but you never know where blister packs end up on their path to the landfill and it could endanger children and domesticated pets. 

Local pharmacies are usually happy to take back medications, but if yours isn’t, speak to your GP about what you should do with your medication. They can either direct you to a pharmacy or they will take the medication back and dispose of it properly. You should not flush medication down the toilet, this can contaminate water supplies and endanger local wildlife. 

With e-waste, including old computers, televisions, and phones, look for the nearest e-waste recycling program. 

Certain wastes are covered by chemical control orders (CCO), and these are governed by additional restrictions. The orders detail the safe handling and disposal of each item, and New South Wales has six CCOs in place. Failure to comply with these can result in fines of $250,000 for individuals (and a further $60,000 per day of violation) and $1,000,000 for businesses (and a further $120,000 per day of violation).

Call Cheapest Load of Rubbish 

If you aren’t sure where to dispose of a hazardous item, check with your local council. The website is the first port of call and should provide you with a list of hazardous waste disposal points. There are regular collection events if there is not a disposal point near you. 

Hazardous waste should never be deposited in a general waste bin. Batteries contain highly toxic materials while paints and solvents contain harmful chemicals and volatile organic compounds. Electronic waste often contains lead and mercury, which require proper processing. 

Alternatively, you can enlist the services of a professional rubbish removal company. Cheapest Load of Rubbish can provide you with an on-the-spot free, no-obligation quote. Give us a call or complete our online form and we’ll send a team to your door to assess your waste; if you’re happy to proceed, the team will uplift your hazardous waste safely and ensure it is disposed of in line with local regulations.

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