Hazardous waste

How it is used

Strictly regulated: hazardous waste must be labeled, stored separately, moved by licensed carriers and sent to licensed facilities. Waste lists give each type a code; in the EU list, codes marked with an asterisk are hazardous. International shipments are controlled by the Basel Convention.

Example sentences

1. Paint residues and used solvents are stored as hazardous waste until the licensed contractor collects them.

2. The audit found hazardous waste mixed with general waste in two containers.

Common collocations

• hazardous waste storage
• dispose of hazardous waste
• hazardous waste code
• licensed hazardous waste facility

Related terms

• waste managementThe collection, transport, sorting, treatment, recycling and disposal of waste, together with the planning and monitoring of these activities.
• dispose ofTo get rid of something, especially waste, by throwing it away, burning it or burying it in a controlled and legal way.
• e-wasteDiscarded electrical and electronic equipment, such as phones, computers, TVs, fridges and cables, which contains valuable metals as well as hazardous materials.
• environmental permitAn official authorization that allows a facility to carry out activities that could affect the environment, such as emissions to air or discharges to water, under set conditions.
• soil contaminationThe presence of harmful substances in soil, such as heavy metals, oil, solvents or pesticides, at levels that may threaten human health, groundwater or ecosystems.

More terms: Waste and Recycling

• waste
• recycling
• landfill
• biodegradable
• single-use plastic
• waste hierarchy
• composting