Universal waste

Hazardous Waste Recycling, Used Oil, and Universal Wastes.440... 

Hazardous waste recycling and universal wastes To provide for the safe recycling of hazardous wastes and facilitate the management of commonly recycled materials, RCRA includes provisions for hazardous waste recycling and universal wastes. 

HAZARDOUS WASTE RECYCLING, USED OIL, AND UNIVERSAL WASTES... 

U.S. EPA has tried, to the extent possible, to develop regulations for hazardous waste management that foster environmentally sound recycling and conservation of resources, but at the same time provide adequate protection of human health and the environment. This chapter outlines the regulations governing recycling of hazardous wastes, and describes special management standards for two commonly recycled wastestreams used oil and universal wastes. 

The universal waste program promotes the collection and recycling of certain widely generated hazardous wastes, known as universal wastes. Three types of waste were originally covered under the universal waste regulations and a fourth was added in July 1999 ... 

In June 2002, U.S. EPA proposed to add mercury-containing equipment. Other similar wastes may be added to the universal waste regulations in the future. The regulated community may also petition U.S. EPA to include additional wastes in the universal waste program. 

There are four types of regulated participants in the universal waste system ... 

Small quantity handlers of universal waste (SQHUW). 

A complete overview of the universal waste regulations can be found in Ref. 8. 

There are two types of handlers of universal waste. The first type of handler is a person who generates, or creates, universal waste. For example, this may include a person who uses batteries, pesticides, thermostats, or lamps and who eventually decides that they are no longer usable. The second type of handler is a person who receives universal waste from other handlers, accumulates the waste, and then sends it on to other handlers, recyclers, or treatment or disposal facilities without performing the actual treatment, recycling, or disposal. This may include a person who collects batteries, pesticides, or thermostats from small businesses and sends the wastes to a recycling facility. The universal waste handler requirements depend on how much universal waste a handler accumulates at any one time. 

LQHUW accumulate a total of 5000kg or more of universal waste at any time. The designation as an LQHUW is retained for the remainder of the calendar year in which the 5000-kg threshold was exceeded, and may be re-evaluated in the following calendar year. LQHUW must comply with the same requirements as SQHUW, as well as a few additional ones. They must also maintain basic records documenting shipments received at the facility and shipments sent from the facility, must obtain an U.S. EPA identification (ID) number, and must comply with stricter employee training requirements. 

Universal waste transporters are persons who transport universal waste from handlers of universal waste to other handlers, destination facilities, or foreign destinations. These wastes do not need to be accompanied by an RCRA hazardous waste manifest during transport, but transporters must comply with applicable Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements. 

Transporters may store universal waste for up to 10 days at a transfer facility during the course of transportation. Transfer facilities are transportation-related facilities such as loading docks, parking areas, and storage areas. If a transporter keeps universal waste for more than 10 days at one location, the transporter is subject to all applicable SQHUW or LQHUW regulations. 

Universal waste destination facilities are facilities that treat, dispose of, or recycle a particular category of universal waste. These facilities are subject to the same requirements as fully regulated hazardous waste TSDFs. Full regulation includes permit requirements, general facility standards, and unit-specific standards. The universal waste program includes only two additional specific universal waste requirements for destination facilities. These requirements are procedures for rejecting shipments of universal waste and the documentation of the receipt of universal waste. 

SQHUW Small quantity handler of universal waste... 

U.S. EPA, Universal Waste Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Codified in 40 CFR Part 273, Washington, DC, May 1995. 

Fluorescent lamps, fluorescent lamp ballasts, batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing thermostats, and other mercury-containing equipment are being singled out for special consideration. Specifically, these electrical and electronic wastes outfall into a regulated category called universal wastes in the United States. 

In the United States, the Universal Waste Regulations have so far streamlined the hazardous waste management standards for the above U.S. Federal universal wastes (batteries, pesticides, thermostats, and lamps). The regulations govern the collection and management of these widely generated wastes. This facilitates environmentally sound collection and increases the proper recycling or treatment of the universal wastes mentioned above. 

The universal waste transportation requirements are not onerous. Because they are not defined as hazardous wastes, universal wastes in the United States do not need to be accompanied by a hazardous waste manifest, or shipped by a hazardous waste transporter. Even so, transportation is where many generators lose money and where many recyclers make their margins. 

The Universal Waste regulatory requirement is that all universal wastes must be handled by a licensed recycler. There are, however, only a few licensed recyclers in the United States available for services. 

Universal waste is a legal environmental term used in the United States. The Universal Waste Regulations in the United States streamline the collection requirements for certain hazardous wastes in the specific categories decided by the Federal and the State governments. The Universal Waste Regulations ease regulatory burdens on businesses promote proper recycling, treatment, or disposal and provide for efficient, proper, and cost-effective collection opportunities. 

It is important to note that each State in the United States can add different wastes and does not have to include all the U.S. Federal universal wastes. In other words, the States can modify the Federal Universal Waste Rule and add additional universal waste in individual state regulations. A waste generator should check with the State for the exact regulations that apply to the generator. 

For proper management and disposal of the aforementioned universal wastes, a waste generator, a waste handler, a transporter, or a destination facility must understand the legal definitions of wastes and their legal status. The following is an overview of legal definitions and related requirements. 

Universal waste A waste must be a hazardous waste before it can be considered a universal waste. A waste must also meet certain criteria to qualify as a universal waste. For instance, it must be widespread, commonly found in medium to large volumes, and exhibit only low-level hazards or be easily managed. 

Federal universal wastes In the United States, the universal wastes (such as batteries, pesticides, thermostats, lamps, and mercury-containing wastes) are decided and legally defined by the U.S. EPA. 

State universal wastes In the United States, the States do not have to include all of the Federal universal wastes when they use (adopt) the program and the States can make them more stringent and add their own universal wastes (antifreeze, for instance). 

Universal waste battery Battery means a device consisting of one or more electrically connected electrochemical cells, which is designed to receive, store, and deliver electric energy. An electrochemical cell is a system consisting of an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, plus such connections (electrical and mechanical) as may be needed to allow the cell to deliver or receive electrical energy. The term battery also includes an intact, unbroken battery from which the electrolyte has been removed. 

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