Managing and Reducing Wastes: A Guide for Commercial Buildings

Office buildings, schools, stores, hotels, restaurants and other commercial and institutional buildings generate significant amounts of materials and waste. Here are tools and resources to help facility managers, building owners, tenants and other stakeholders improve waste management in their buildings, reduce costs and enhance sustainability. Benefits of Addressing Waste Until recently, you might not have…

Waste management

Waste management is the handling of discarded materials. The term most commonly applies to the disposition of solid wastes, which is often described as solid waste management. One form of waste management involves the elimination of undesirable waste products by methods such as landfilling and incineration. But recycling and composting, which transform waste into useful…

Characteristic Hazardous Waste

Chemicals also require management as hazardous waste if they exhibit one or more of the four EPA-defined characteristics of ignitable, corrosive, reactivity, or toxicity. Ignitable Wastes Liquids having a flash point below 140F a.  alcohol solutions which contain more than 24% alcohol by volume b.  HPLC liquids (which often contain highly flammable solvents such as Acetonitrile) c.…

Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste that is improperly managed poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), passed in 1976, was established to set up a framework for the proper management of hazardous waste. What is a Hazardous Waste? The hazardous waste management program uses the term solid waste to denote something that…

Methods of Domestic Waste Disposal

Domestic waste disposal is an issue that is important to the management of any urban area. Cities without a functioning waste-disposal plan face risks of disease running rampant and economic activity grinding to a halt. The majority of North American cities use the sanitary-landfill method of waste disposal, which has served fairly well for quite…

Waste Disposal and Recycling

Take a look inside your garbage can. How much garbage does your family throw away each day? Each week? Where does all of that trash go? It’s tempting to think that the trash we throw away actually goes away, but we know better. Here’s a look at what actually happens to all of that trash after it leaves your…

Different Methods of Waste Disposal

You produce plenty of waste each week, but have you thought about where it goes? Modern waste disposal methods give you several different options for getting rid of your waste. Taking a look at the different options helps you find a solution that’s not only good for you but also for the environment. Incineration Incineration…

Household Hazardous Waste and Demolition

Household wastes that are toxic, corrosive, ignitable, or reactive are known as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). Examples may include: motor oil automobile batteries paints and solvents household cleaners drain openers pesticides compressed gas tanks (such as propane and oxygen) These types of wastes are sometimes found in residential properties awaiting demolition. How to dispose of…