A quick introduction to chemical waste management

Chemical waste refers to any solid or liquid waste that has the potential to harm people, property and the environment. This includes contaminated and non-contaminated items.

We use chemicals every day that we consider to be safe – such as washing detergent. However, these chemicals can cause serious harm if disposed incorrectly. Washing detergent may be safe to wash your dishes with but could have devastating consequences for marine organisms if it enters the waterway.

Similarly, if a flammable chemical such as methylated spirits is placed with general waste, this drastically increases the risk of spontaneous combustion in a garbage truck.

Chemical waste is governed by classification, transportation and disposal regulations.

It's important that our customers are aware of the risks associated with any chemical waste generated on your sites and whether or not the material falls under the Australian Dangerous Goods (ADG) Code.

The ADG Code outlines the packaging, storage and transport requirements associated with your chemical waste. Everyone handling chemical waste should be familiar with this information to ensure they are handling the chemical safely.

All sites should understand these regulatory requirements as they have a responsibility to ensure the safe storage and transport of chemicals under their control or passing on to other organisations to handle.

Hazardous chemicals not stored, transported, or packaged correctly can result in contamination, fires, spills, gas release and toxic exposure. This could be disastrous and costly.

When booking a waste chemical collection, you should provide a detailed manifest of the materials to be collected, including size and quantity of containers, how full the containers are, how the chemicals are packaged, if any items are classified as DG and have Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

An SDS details the potential health/environmental risks associated with the substance being handled and will also identify if the material falls under the Australian Dangerous Goods (ADG) Code.

Photos are another great way to help us understand the condition of your chemical waste. If containers are leaking, let us know so that we can arrange over packs or bundled pallets to contain any spillage.

Secure chemicals to a pallet and ensure the pallet is in good condition.

Lastly, don't forget to provide a copy of the manifest to the driver when he arrives.

• Store chemical waste safely, according to regulatory requirements
• Have the Safety Data Sheet readily available
• Follow the steps provided when booking a chemical collection
• Ensure chemicals are suitably packaged for transport