The IHMM (Institute of Hazardous Materials Management) declares hazardous materials are those regulated by regulations and laws put forth by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), DOT (Department of Transportation), and the NRC (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.) Each of these organizations has its own definition of what is considered a hazardous material.

Identifying hazardous materials in your facility is necessary before you begin planning a disposal process. Identification is also necessary to ensure proper handling, exposure, and disposal of these dangerous materials. Your facility could face penalties and fines for improper disposal methods.

Environmental Marketing Service has the experience and expertise in the industry to assist your facility in identifying, packing, or storing dangerous chemicals. EMSLLC (Environmental Marketing Service) can also provide hazmat waste disposal service. These are some of the processes used for hazmat waste disposal.

Hazardous Waste Fuel Blending

The process of hazardous waste fuel blending involves mixing commercial fuel and hazardous waste to comply with the specifications necessary for a cement kiln, industrial furnace, or incineration. Fuel blending is an approach to attain environmental sustainability by using alternative fuel methods. By mixing hazardous liquids, sludge, and waste, an alternative fuel is created.

Hazardous waste fuel blending allows for millions of tons of hazardous waste, such as solvents to be blended with ‘on-spec’ materials. This blending process then creates an alternative fuel. The most popular product created from this process is ethanol. Other products created include thinners and solvents.

Hazardous Waste Incineration

Hazardous waste incineration involves burning hazardous materials at a temperature high enough to destroy all contaminants. An incinerator is a type of furnace designed to burn hazardous materials by using a combustion chamber. There are three types of waste to which incineration is applied extensively:

• Municipal solid waste
• Hazardous waste
• Medical waste

Incineration controls the way hazardous waste materials are burned. Unlike the normal process of burning a material, incineration is done through the use of a furnace designed specifically for the process. The incineration of the materials filters out all harmful gasses from the fumes.

Non-Hazardous Waste Incineration

Non-hazardous waste materials can also be incinerated. Incineration will thermally combust liquid and solid waste. The main difference between non-hazardous and hazardous waste is that non-hazardous is not considered dangerous. Some examples of non-hazardous include routine commercial trash or construction debris.

Non-hazardous waste may not pose a threat to human health or the environment, but it still cannot be disposed of in regular trash containers. Even though these waste materials are not harmful, they can still pose a risk if disposed of in an uncontrolled manner. Talk to the experts at Environmental Marketing Service to learn the category and disposal requirements of the waste materials generated at your facility.

Deep Well Injection

The process of deep well injection involves disposing of or storing liquids safely underground. The drilling is done beneath drinking water aquifers and traps liquid waste materials underneath multiple impermeable layers of rock. A certain geology is required to perform this process and therefore cannot be done in all locations.

The deep well injection process is an alternative method used to place untreated and treated liquid waste into geologic formations that have no potential to allow migration of the contaminants. Some of the targeted contaminant groups for deep well injection include:

• VOCs-Volatile organic compounds, such as benzene, ethylene, and formaldehyde
• SVOCs- Semi-volatile organic compounds, such as PCBs, PFASs, fragrances, and pesticides
• Fuels
• Explosives

Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater treatment improves the quality of wastewater and converts it into waste that can be incorporated into the water cycle or returned to nature with minimum environmental risk. There are seven steps taken during wastewater treatment:

• Screening and pumping
• Removal of grit
• Primary settling
• Aeration of sludge
• Secondary settling
• Filtration
• Disinfection
• Oxygen uptake

Wastewater treatment is crucial to protect your environment and the health of both humans and animals. If this treatment process is not done or done properly, it can pollute water sources, cause serious illness, and damage natural habitats.

Chemical Lab-Packing Service

Chemical lab-packing involves packing small containers of hazardous waste into larger, sturdy containers. When performing a chemical lab-packing service, the Environmental Marketing Service will place several smaller intact containers of hazardous chemicals into a large 55-gallon drum.

During a lab-packing procedure, all waste is categorized, inventoried, packaged, and placed into small containers that are then packed safely within the drum. This hazmat waste disposal process has to follow strict requirements. The lab-packing should be performed by a service that has expertise and experience, such as Environmental Marketing Service, to ensure all laws and safety measures are followed.

Reactive Chemical Disposal

A hazmat waste disposal service, such as Environmental Marketing Service should be contacted if your facility has reactive chemicals to discard. Reactive chemicals, such as reducers and strong oxidizers along with water/air reactive chemicals can easily explode or undergo a violent reaction when not handled properly.

A chemical is reactive if it can explode, react violently, or create toxic fumes when exposed to water or by normal handling conditions. Some examples of reactive chemicals include:

• Lithium-sulfur batteries
• Explosives
• Peroxides
• Water- reactive
• Pyrophoric

The disposal of hazardous chemicals is regulated by the EPA and RCRA. These materials cannot be disposed of in regular trash containers. Contact Environmental Marketing Services to assist your facility in the disposal of reactive chemicals and other hazardous materials.

High Hazard Chemical Disposal

There are certain types of chemicals or materials that qualify as high hazard. Some of these include poisonous gasses, biological agents, banned pesticides, explosives, and others. If a chemical or material has been identified as a high hazard during a disposal process, a different type of handling the disposal must be taken.

High-hazard chemical disposal requires the experts handling the chemicals to put on PPE (Personal Protective Equipment.) The PPE will include Kevlar suits that are flame resistant, along with breathing apparatus as these are some of the most hazardous materials that professionals manage. Some of the common waste treatment or stabilization procedures for these hazardous materials include:

• Acid-Base Neutralization
• Oxidation Reduction
• Hydrolysis

Picric Acid Disposal

When picric acid is hydrated and contains no crystal formations, it can be properly disposed of through your facility’s safety department following hazmat waste disposal procedures. If the acid has dried or there are crystal formations, you need to contact Environmental Marketing Services  immediately.

When picric acid dries, it becomes a potential explosion hazard. There are numerous stories on how bomb squads have been called to remove old bottles of picric acid.

Picric acid is common in many laboratories. Typically this material is sold in a glass container with a plastic cap. When this acid dries, it can explode when exposed to shock, friction, or sudden heating. If your facility’s picric acid is wet, it can be handled as regular hazardous waste.

Expired Ether

Ether must be stored in a freezer or refrigerator due to its explosive properties. When ether expires, it becomes a dangerous peroxide and if jolted could explode. Contact Environmental Marketing Service if your facility has possession of expired ether.

Ether can form extremely explosive compounds over time. For this reason, your facility should date all ether containers. Hazards common with ether include drowsiness, dizziness, vomiting, increased saliva, and high exposure that can cause death. Talk to the experts at Environmental Marketing Service before handling or disposing of this dangerous material.

Hazmat Waste Disposal Service

Environmental Marketing Service offers a wide range of disposal services nationwide excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and New Jersey. We have more than 90 combined years of expertise in hazardous waste disposal. We are committed to being environmentally responsible for waste management across a range of industries and are ready to help you learn how to create a cost-effective and innovative solution to all your recycling and disposal needs. Contact us today and learn how our hazmat waste disposal service will benefit your facility.