6 Common Misconceptions About Waste

Worrying about whether or not a particular waste is regulated, hazardous, or should be recycled can be stressful enough – but the problem can be frustratingly compounded by circulating myths. Waste management (especially that of regulated non-hazardous and hazardous waste) is an area where you really can’t afford to be wrong.

Do yourself a favor and do a quick  review of the most common misconceptions about waste to ensure you haven’t been misled.

Myth: Eliminating waste is bad for the economy.

Truth: In fact, many leading businesses recognize that waste equates to lost profit. Eliminating waste can ultimately benefit their bottom line and save them money.

Myth: This product is labeled as non-hazardous, and therefore can be disposed of in the trash.

Truth: All waste must actually be evaluated prior to its disposal. Before choosing a disposal method, be sure to check with environmental regulators. It’s a good idea to have a program in place for managing wastes, and Hazardous Waste Experts can help you build one in a compliant and efficient manner.

Myth: Once my hazardous waste is accepted by a disposal facility, I’m no longer responsible.

Truth: Under CERCLA legislation, you can still be held liable for cleanup even after you’ve arranged for proper disposal. It’s important to choose a reliable vendor for your hazardous waste removal to ensure “cradle-to-grave” doesn’t come back and haunt you. Hazardous Waste Experts can assist you here, as well.

Myth: Existing laws and regulations always provide sufficient protection from hazardous materials and chemicals.

Truth: Toxic chemicals are often released into the environment through hazardous waste management problems, exclusions to regulations, non-point sources, and permitted discharges.

Myth: Landfills solve all our waste problems.

Truth: Unfortunately, landfills ignore the cost of waste and missed opportunities to conserve resources. Reliance on landfills isn’t an ideal solution because hazardous materials and substances find their way in, and because disposal of useful materials means our economy relies heavily – and often unnecessarily – on dwindling natural resources.

Myth: Recycling solves all our waste problems.

Truth: Recycling is a valuable and promising process, but the current system is far from perfect. There are several long-range problems that need solutions, including the fact that most products are not actually designed for recycling. This means that it can be costly to recover and reprocess materials.

Need Help?

It’s always a good idea to find a qualified and experienced consultant and vendor to handle all of your non-hazardous and hazardous waste removal challenges, as well as to advise you on your specific situation (and any other misconceptions about waste that might be hindering your efforts). Hazardous Waste Experts can help you out – speak with an expert today at 800-936-2311 or click here to email us.