All of the following methods of waste disposal have been outlawed except
Click on a step in the hazardous waste identification process for more information.
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BackgroundProper waste management is an essential part of society’s public and environmental health. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), passed in 1976, created the framework for America’s hazardous and non-hazardous waste management programs. Materials regulated by RCRA are known as “solid wastes.” Only materials that meet the definition of solid waste under RCRA can be classified as hazardous wastes, which are subject to additional regulation. EPA developed detailed regulations that define what materials qualify as solid wastes and hazardous wastes. Understanding the definition of a solid waste is an important first step in the process EPA set up for generators to hazardous waste to follow when determining if the waste they generated is a regulated hazardous waste. Some of the materials that would otherwise fit the definitions of a solid or hazardous waste under waste identification are specifically excluded from the definitions. EPA concluded that these materials should not be regulated as solid or hazardous wastes for a number of reasons. Many exclusions are mandated in RCRA. EPA selected other exclusions to provide an incentive to recycle certain materials, because there was not enough information on the material to justify its regulation as a solid or hazardous waste, or because the material was already subject to regulation under another statute. Refer to Frequent Questions About Hazardous Waste Identification. What is a Solid Waste?RCRA states that "solid waste" means any garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities. Nearly everything we do leaves behind some kind of waste. It is important to note that the definition of solid waste is not limited to wastes that are physically solid. Many solid wastes are liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous material. A solid waste is any material that is discarded by being:
Materials that do not meet this definition are not solid wastes and are not subject to RCRA regulation. Wastes Excluded from Solid Waste RegulationSeveral materials are excluded from the definition of solid waste. These materials are excluded for a variety of reasons, including public policy, economic impacts, regulation by other laws, lack of data, or impracticability of regulating the waste. The decision to exclude the following materials from the solid waste definition is a result of either Congressional action (embodied in the statute) or an EPA rulemaking. A material cannot be a hazardous waste if it does not meet the definition of solid waste. Thus, wastes that are excluded from the definition of solid waste are not subject to RCRA subtitle C hazardous waste regulation. The table below contains a description of wastes which are excluded from the definition of solid waste and the subsection of 40 CFR section 261.4(a) where you can find more information about the exclusion.
Wastes Excluded from Hazardous Waste RegulationEPA excludes certain solid wastes from the definition of hazardous waste. If a material meets an exclusion from the definition of hazardous waste, it is not regulated as a hazardous waste, even if the material technically meets a listing or exhibits a characteristic that would normally meet this definition. The table below contains a description of solid wastes which are excluded from the definition of hazardous waste and the subsection of 40 CFR section 261.4(b) where you can find more information about the exclusion.
Key Resources
Below are other resources that may be useful, but please note they have not been updated with the changes made in the 2018 DSW final rule:
What are the 4 methods of waste disposal?These include:. Landfill.. Incineration.. Waste compaction.. Composting.. Vermicomposting.. What are the 5 methods of refuse disposal?5 Waste Disposal Methods You Need To Know. Recycling.. Plasma Gasification.. Composting.. Incineration.. Sanitary Landfill.. Which of the following methods Cannot be used for waste disposal?Cycling is not a method of disposal of garbage.
What are the 6 methods of disposal?Waste disposal methods. Recycling. Incineration. ... . Other thermal treatment plants. Chemical-physical and biological treatment. ... . Chemical-physical and biological treatment. Landfills. ... . Landfills. Collection and logistics.. |