HAZARDOUS WASTE
Handling and reporting responsibly
For most, the term hazardous waste conjures up images of toxic sludge, depleted uranium or the ubiquitous green slime. However, the reality is that hazardous waste is an ever yday thing.
A
ll businesses generate some form of waste, but many don’t realise that their waste stream may be considered hazardous – and potentially harmful, or even fatal, if not disposed of correctly. So, how would a business know how hazardous their waste is and what steps should be followed to ensure compliance with regulations?
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NOVEMBER 2020
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ReSource
Global integrated waste management company Averda asserts that the first thing would be to understand what is defined as hazardous waste. According to the South African Waste Information Centre, hazardous waste is waste that contains organic or inorganic elements or compounds that may, owing to the inherent physical, chemical or toxicological characteristics of that waste, have a detrimental impact on health and the environment. Hazardous waste may be generated from households, agriculture, mining, manufacturing processes, medical facilities, educational institutions, research institutions, and many other sources. When this waste is released into the environment, it can spread and contaminate the air, water and land. It poses a threat to human health and the environment. The impacts of hazardous waste are determined by four major characteristics: • ignitability, or something flammable • corrosivity, or something that can damage eyes and skin • reactivity, or something that can react violently, e.g. with water • toxicity, or something poisonous. Brindha Roberts, head: Sustainability, Averda, believes that it is crucial for waste to be correctly classified. This needs to be done as per the Waste Classification and Management Regulations. Roberts says that classification must be conducted within 180 days of generation, in accordance with SANS 10234, and ultimately establishes whether a
waste is hazardous based on the nature and the severity of hazard posed. “Any breach of this protocol could have far-reaching implications. If not properly managed, some forms of hazardous waste can quickly spread and contaminate land, water and air,” Robert explains. The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries manages hazardous waste in South Africa through the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008). The Act sets out guidelines for both the management of such waste and the collection of accurate data around how much of what type of waste is being generated. The Act aims to protect public health and the environment by providing measures for: • minimising the consumption of natural resources • avoiding and minimising the generation of waste • reducing, reusing, recycling and recovering waste • treating and safely disposing of waste as a last resort • preventing pollution and ecological degradation • remediating land where contamination exits • securing ecologically sustainable development, while promoting justifiable economic and social development. Other associated regulations include the Waste Classification and Management Regulations, National Norms and Standards for Disposal of Waste to Landfill, and the National Norms and Standards for Storage of Waste.
Recording generated waste For over a decade, Sawis (the South African Waste Information Centre) has recorded routine data on the tonnages of waste generated, recycled and disposed of in South Africa.
