Why Recycling Matters: How do they recycle hazardous waste

Why Recycling Matters: How do they recycle hazardous waste?

Introduction

Recycling has become an important initiative in this modern day where the amount of hazardous waste has increased. This increase is necessitated with the ever increasing number of people in the world. Hazardous waste is the waste that possesses substantial or potential health threats to the people and the environment. Various legislations have therefore been established to ensure that the amount of waste emitted is recycled to ensure such problems do not occur. For instance, in the United States, Resource Conservations and Recovery Act [RCRA] has provided guidelines for treating, storing and disposing of hazardous wastes (Stasiskiene, Gaiziuniene and Zidoniene 268). There are various ways through which waste hazardous are recycled.

Benefits of hazardous waste recycling benefits

Recycling of hazardous waste products has various benefits. These benefits range from economic to environmental. It allows re-use of hazardous waste products and help to avoid environmental hazards, protect scarce natural resources and help to reduce the countries’ reliance on raw materials and energy. On environmental benefits, recycling helps to reduce the consumption of raw materials, as the same used materials can be put to use again (Stasiskiene, Gaiziuniene and Zidoniene 268). It also helps to reduce the volume of waste materials which are required to be treated before being disposed. Furthermore, on environmental benefits, recycling helps to reduce air, water and soil pollutions, which are associated with extraction and refining and processing of raw materials. Green gas emissions will also be reduced through hazardous waste recycling as the process or the duration of recycling will be reduced (Bandyopadhyay 793). Through recycling, less energy is required to extract, transport and refine the raw materials into final product for their re-use. The energy demand will be reduced leading to less burning of fossil fuels, which will lead to less emissions of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This has a positive impact on the environment.

When it comes to economics, recycling has a positive effect in expanding and increasing the level of production, efficiency and reduces the costs that are associated with purchasing of raw materials. Waste management is also another area that will contribute to reduction of the costs. This happens because of the decrease in the amount of waste that is produced. The benefits of recycling can also enhance positive relationship between the company, the customers and the environment because of the reduction in green gas emissions and other toxics.

Waste recycling has another advantage in terms of the health of the people. It helps to ensure that health is uplifted because the level of emissions in the atmosphere will have reduced. Most of the emission that are present in the atmosphere cause diseases related to respiratory and lungs, which may lead to loss of life among those people who may not be aware of the diseases and have not taken precaution.

Quantity of hazardous waste that is recycled in the US

In the U.S, Environmental Protection Agency record data on the hazardous waste recycling. Part of data is found from the national biennial report. The data is usually on waste management, generations and final disposition of the wastes as regulated under RCRA. For instance, in the year 2009, around 1.8 million tons of hazardous were managed through recycling of solvent and metals. This statistics is under one fifth of the total amount of hazard wastes that was recorded in 2009.

There are several of hazardous materials which come from various sources such as industries. Other hazards come from the fluorescent lamps, electronic devices, oil and solvents and batteries among others. Recycling of the hazardous waste is a long process that requires persistency and consistency.

How hazardous wastes are recycled

The first step towards ensuring that these hazardous wastes are recycled is evaluation of the kind of waste that one has generated. There are various categories of wastes that are listed by various environmental agencies. These are wastes that are corrosive, ignitable and lethal or oxiders, and are very dangerous to the health and the environment in general. The waste generated may fall in the various categories: very small quantity generator, which is approximated at less that 220 pounds or less per month, small quantity generator, which is more than 220 pounds and large quantity generator, which is approximated to be equivalent or more than 2200 pounds per month (Andrew 2).

The next step is to apply for a hazardous waste identification number or simply environmental protection identity number and the required license. This identity is essential in ensuring that the government is aware of the kind of the hazards that is produced in certain areas and the amount produced. This information helps the management of various counties or regions to be acquainted with enough knowledge and therefore, can plan for the adaption of best strategies to contain the situation.

The waste should be well stored and labeled to ensure that it is not confused with other kinds of waste. Good storage allows the waste to be well taken care off (Rethink recycling para. 5). Different kinds of wastes have different levels of toxins and therefore are required to be differentiated from one another. Furthermore, the kind of treatment of recycling procedure may be different from others hence the reason for this differentiation. Further, good storage and labeling ensures that the hazards are well inspected and access to such toxins is controlled. Storage is also important in protecting the containers from the elements and help to curb occurrence of accidents when people come into contact with the toxins. These wastes are then transported for disposal and recycling.

Waste products are required to be disposed well to ensure that the effects are mitigated. In transportation, the choice of a transporter should be recommended by the authorities to do such duties and should have a number for identification (Rethink recycling para. 5). The waste should be transported to a designated place that is preserved for waste dumping or recycling. The vehicle should have materials or evidence than illustrates that the vehicle is a resource of the council.

What follow is the manifest shipments of hazardous waste. At this stage, all details that happened in the course of the transportation of the hazardous products are recorded and are required to be produced at the agency. This is a recount of the situation, and how the journey went on until its conclusion.

Planning for emergencies is then embarked on. The level of spills and any other emergency that is likely to happen in the organization needs to be solved once and for all. Personnel are also trained on the best ways of managing waste hazard. Training of the personnel is important in ensuring that appropriate procedures are taken to stir skills and knowledge acquisition. They are taught how to manage, handle and store hazardous waste products that are emitted to the environment (Brems, Baeyens and Dewil 669). Employees are required to be trained on the different ways of managing wastes to equip them with enough skills and knowledge to help in the general environmental conversation.

Records pertaining to the issues to do with environment is important in ensuring that various pollutions are well addressed. The data relating on management and recycling for the past three years is normally kept and is usually intended to ensure that trends in waste recycling and management are maintained. At this stage, recycling and manifest receipts are provided to ensure that emissions are well contained. Weekly inspection is also another way to record the pollutants. Analysis and other reports concerning the emissions is important (Stanislaus 22232). Furthermore, training programs are also used in the recycling to ensure that all waste hazardous is well managed and recycled.

Hazardous waste poses a great challenge in ensuring that people of a country collect and recycle their hazardous waste in accordance with the stipulated law. If this is done, the rate of diseases and increase in death would decrease. The government should heighten their efforts and ensure that they achieve their objectives. Generators should be identified and salient measures taken to ensure that all hazardous waste products are recycled and well managed. The stages of recycling are important in ensuring that these wastes are well handled and recycled to ensure that the environment is kept clean and to bolster the economy.

Works Cited

Andrew, Devis. RCRA Definition of Solid Waste Revised to Exclude Certain Hazardous Secondary Materials. Full Text Available Hazardous Waste Consultant, 6.4(2008): 1-4. Print.

Bandyopadhyay, Amitava. Electronics waste management: Indian practices and guidelines, International Journal of Energy & Environment, 5(2010): 793-804.Print.

Brems, Anke, Baeyens, Jan, and Dewil, Raf. Recycling and recovery of post-consumer plastic solid waste in a European context, Thermal Science, 16.3 (2012): 669-685.Print.

Stasiskiene, Zaneta, Gaiziuniene, Jurgita and Zidoniene, Sigita. Assessing the Sustainability of the Lithuanian Hazardous Waste Management System, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 15.2 (2011):268-283. Print.

Rethink recycling. 8 steps hazardous waste management guide. Web.26.11.2012. http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/businesses/waste-management-guide/hazardous- waste/8-step-hazardous-waste-management-guide

Stanislaus, M. (2012). Hazardous Waste Technical Corrections and Clarifications Rule, Federal Register, 77(72):22229-22232.