So, January is here and as a start to the new year, we thought we’d take a look back at our achievements in 2019, in particular in the hazardous division.

Not everyone knows the regulations around hazardous waste and which items are actually classified as hazardous, or indeed that here at Cawleys we have a specialist hazardous division.

What is hazardous waste?

[caption id="attachment_9052" align="alignright" width="300"] Recycling Worker and electronic waste recycling[/caption]

All manner of items can be classified as hazardous waste, basically if something poses a risk to human health or the environment it falls within the classification.  In 2005 new regulations were implemented to bring lots of everyday items under the scope of hazardous waste. Some waste items, such as oils, paint residue and batteries are more obviously hazardous, whereas others such as waste electrical, pollutant plastics and fluorescent tubes may not be recognised as easily by those wishing to discard of them.

Hazardous regulations

Ultimately there are strict rules around the disposal of hazardous items and bulk liquids, and businesses could find themselves in serious hot water if they do not employ the right processes and procedures.

Luckily, our clients are on the ball when it comes to the disposal of hazardous waste. Last year alone our hazardous collections from Cawleys' business clients included 400 tonnes of waste electrical equipment, 60 tonnes of fridges and over 15 million litres of bulk liquid!

But we’re not resting on our laurels, we are sure that many other businesses are unwittingly disposing of hazardous items in their general waste.

Black bin bags are not the place for haz

Batteries for example, are often found in black bin bags. At Cawleys we collected over 200 tonnes of waste batteries in 2019 but we suspect that many others have found their way into general waste. Similarly, smaller WEEE items are also disposed of by some businesses in the wrong way. The golden rule is always to always seek professional advice.

Cawleys Hazardous Division

Here at Cawleys, we have a number of experts who can either come out to your site or simply give best practice advice over the phone. Alternatively our dedicated webpage gives all the details of hazardous waste classifications.

We provide one-off or scheduled hazardous collections, Hazbox for offices and smaller units, industrial cleaning, sewage collection and much more. Get in touch if you're looking to review your hazardous waste arrangements in 2020.