What are the four types of hazardous materials?

Your business's hazardous waste harms the environment and can put your organisation or business in serious trouble. Every business organisation or facility engaged in handling, generating, collection, storage, packaging, transportation and usage, treatment, processing, recycling, recovery, pre-processing, co-processing, and transfer and disposal of hazardous waste shall submit an annual return.

The annual return shall contain information regarding quantity waste generated, stored, recycled, processed or disposed yearly. The organisation will submit the information to the State pollution Control Board in Form 4 Hazardous Waste on or before 30th June every year following the financial year with which that return is related.

What is Hazardous Waste?

Hazardous waste is defined as any substance or material that can harm the health of the public and environment. Hazardous wastes are produced by industrial and manufacturing organisations and are identified as containing properties and elements that can cause harmful effects.

Know the four classifications of Hazardous Waste.

1.Radioactive substances emit ionising radiation and are harmful because of lengthy exposure to radiation, often damaging the environment and living organisms. These are of special concern because they continue for a long period.

2. Biomedical wastes: The primary sources of hazardous biological wastes are hospitals, research and biological facilities. The ability to infect other living organisms and produce toxins is a noteworthy feature of biological waste.

3. Chemicals: Most dangerous chemical wastes can be divided into groups – inorganic metals, flammables, acids and bases, explosives and systematic organics. Some chemicals are highly toxic to the most life forms and thus are very dangerous. When such harmful chemicals or elements present in waste stream at levels equal to or greater than their threshold levels, the overall waste stream is very dangerous.

4. Flammable wastes and explosives. They are recognised as harmful chemical wastes. These wastes may be solid, liquid or gaseous but most often in liquid form. Explosives are artillery materials like those with high potential for hazard in storage, disposal, collection, and so they should be regarded separately in addition to being listed as hazardous chemicals. This waste may exist in solid, gaseous or liquid form.

Business organisations have to comply with hazardous waste management norms. They must submit an annual return in Form 4 Hazardous Waste every year with the details of the quantity and nature of waste generation and disposal with technical details.
 
Wrap up
 
Collaborating with a professional service provider will help you file the annual return for the hazardous waste on time and also will support you in filling Form 4 accurately.
 
The service provider will also guide the handling and storage of hazardous wastage and agreement with the authorised agency to dispose of waste generated. Green Genra is the professional service provider with a team of environment engineers, ex-pollution control committee official and experts who will provide expert guidance and solutions to industrial units related to hazardous waste and make them compliant with the pollution control norms.