What are Hazardous Wastes?

Hazardous wastes are those wastes which, due to their nature and quantity, are potentially hazardous to human health and/or the environment and which require special handling, storage, transportation and disposal techniques to eliminate or reduce the hazard.

Hazardous wastes are primarily generated by industrial and manufacturing processes. They can also be generated from commercial and institutional sources, including many government activities. Many chemicals whose “best before” date has expired meet the test of being hazardous wastes.

Businesses such as metal finishers, gas stations, auto repair shops, dry cleaners, and photo developers can produce wastes that may be hazardous, or in some cases toxic. These wastes include sulfuric acid, heavy metals found in batteries, and silver-bearing waste, which comes from photo finishers, printers, hospitals, schools, dentists, doctors and veterinarians.

Heavy metals, solvents and contaminated wastewater result from paint manufacturing. Photo processing also creates organic chemicals, chromium compounds, phosphates and ammonium compounds. Electroplating and other surface-treatment processes can produce sodium cyanide and heavy metals.

Other hazardous wastes include PCBs, motor oil, waste pesticides and unused
cleaning products. Hospitals and clinics generate biomedical wastes.

All of these wastes require special handling to prevent adverse effects to human health and the environment. And it is to the benefit of all British Columbians, to see to it that hazardous wastes do not accumulate and are properly disposed of on a regular basis.