What Is Regulated, Non-Hazardous Waste?
What Is Regulated, Non-Hazardous Waste? While we have talked at length about what to do with medical waste, specifically red bag waste and sharps waste, there is a category of waste that is considered non-hazardous but is still regulated.
According to OSHA, this regulated waste can actually go in the regular trash. Empty bottles, such as those that contained basic hazardous materials must be managed as hazardous waste. However, most glass waste may be disposed of as regular trash. The difference? The container must contain less than 3% of the original volume in order to be discarded in the regular trash.
Another example is paper and plastic waste generated in a laboratory. Most of these items may be disposed of in regular waste containers. In some cases, such as spill cleanups or contamination with very hazardous materials, it may become necessary to dispose of paper and plastic as hazardous waste.
Regulated waste also includes depleted aerosol cans, non-surgical non-radioactive medical waste, and food waste and packaging that result from plant production, manufacturing, or laboratory operations.
Hazardous and non-hazardous waste is regulated at the state level, so always check with local laws to make sure you’re in compliance.
One way to determine if you have non-hazardous material is through SDS sheets (safety data sheets), which are available through Red Bags’ OSHA Compliance training program. These documents tell you exactly what is hazardous, what chemicals are hazardous, and what’s included in products, as well as the composition of specific materials.
If you’re looking to work with a hazardous waste disposal company, make sure that it offers full-service waste management. A full-service company will have the proper permitting, insurance, and licensing to legally identify, handle, and transport many waste types. Red Bags offers certified, green, and responsible disposal for all hazardous waste, including medical waste, pathological waste, and universal waste.
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