Definition of Solid and Hazardous Waste

1. Solid and
Hazardous Waste
Maulana, Dick Dick

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3. Q1 : What is Solid Waste?
• Answer 1.1. = by the WHO: any type of garbage, trash, refuse, or discarded
material (It can be categorized according to where the waste is generated).
• Answer 1. 2. = by the EPA - RCRA Section 1004 (27): The term “solid waste”
means any garbage, refuse, sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply
treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material,
including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from
industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community
activities, but does not include.
• Answer 1. 3. = Alternatively, that solid waste is probably usable products and has
some value for someone else (reintroduced or replenished).
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4. Q2 : What is Hazardous (Toxic)
Waste?
• Answer 2.1 = Hazardous (toxic) substances or hazardous waste is difficult to define
as a clear definition is based on the specialized disposal standards to be applied to
such materials. EPA suggested a legal definition as “…any waste or combination of a
solid, liquid, contained gaseous, or semi-solid from which because of its quantity,
concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics, may cause :
a. Cause or significant contribution to an increase in mortality/serious
irreversible/incapacitating reversible illness, or
b. Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the
environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or
otherwise managed”.
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5. Q3 : Categorization of Solid Waste?
Solid waste includes several categories of waste includes the following :
a. An Agricultural and allied industry = agricultural waste generated during harvest
and in food processing activities.
b. Industrial and mining waste constitute a major portion of mining waste = mining of
metals (mine tailings) or allied industries.
c. Ash from thermal power plants = coal-based thermal power generation which
generates a high proportion of ash.
d. Municipal solid waste = waste generated from urban centers and residential,
commercial, institutional, and municipal activities.
e. Hazardous waste = Any waste material that is reactive, ignitable, corrosive, toxic,
radioactive, or infective is classified as hazardous waste. This category includes
radioactive waste, biomedical waste, plastics and electronic waste (e-waste)
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6. Q4 : How to categorize hazardous wastes?
• When deciding whether or not a specific substance is hazardous, the
properties of the material need to be set on criteria. As EPA has defined
hazardous materials in two ways:
1) The chemical is listed as a hazardous material, of
2) The material fails one of six tests that then define it as hazardous
material. If the materials tested show not failing any of the six tests, it is
delisted and possible to dispose of the material in ordinary landfills (as
non-hazardous) or further treated at other treatment centers.
As the six tests were: Radioactivity, bioconcentration, flammability, reactivity,
toxicity, and genetic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic potential.
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7. Answer 4.1 : The EPA has identified four main categories
in which hazardous wastes can be classified:
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Categorization comes with different risks and disposal methods.
1. Listed Waste 2. Characteristic Waste 3. Universal Waste 4. Mixed Waste

8. 4.1.1 Listed Waste
F-List Waste
①Dioxin-bearing wastes
②Wood-preserving wastes
③Spent solvent wastes
④Petroleum refinery wastewater trea
tment sludges
⑤Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons
production
⑥Multisource leachate
⑦Electroplating and other metal fini
shing wastes
K-List Waste
①Iron and steel production
②Petroleum refining
③Inorganic pigment manufacturing
④Explosives manufacturing
⑤Veterinary pharmaceuticals manufa
cturing
⑥Primary aluminum production
⑦Inorganic & Organic chemicals ma
nufacturing
⑧Pesticides manufacturing
⑨Coking (processing of coal to prod
uce coke)
P-List and U-List Waste
①It must contain one of the chemic
als identified in the P or U list
②The waste’s chemical must be unu
sed
③The waste must be in a commercia
l chemical product form
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9. 4.1.2 Characteristic Waste
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Ignitability
Flammable and can
create fires
Ex. Materials with
flashpoints below
140oF (60oC)
Corrosivity
Acid and base wastes
(can decompose and
rust)
Ex. Aqueous wastes
with pH equal to less
than 2, or over 12.5
pH
Reactivity
Explosion / unstable
under normal
condition
Ex. Waste capable of
explosion → toxic
gases
Toxicity
Fatally poisonous
(ingested /absorbed)
Ex. Lithium sulfur
batteries, etc

10. 4.1.3
Universal
Waste
There are 9 classifications of these wastes:
• Class 1: Explosives
• Class 2: Gases
• Class 3: Flammable Liquids
• Class 4: Flammable Solids or Substances
• Class 5: Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides
• Class 6: Toxic and Infectious Substances
• Class 7: Radioactive
• Class 8: Corrosive Substances
• Class 9: Misc. Dangerous Substances and Articles
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11. 4.1.4 Mixed Waste
Lastly, mixed wastes are wastes that contain both hazardous as well as radioactive
components. Because mixed wastes involve hazardous and radioactive materials,
their treatment and disposal vary.
Mixed wastes are identified as one of three types of mixed waste according to the
US DOE. They can be low-level mixed waste (LLMW), high-level mixed waste
(HLW) and mixed transuranic waste (MTRU).
It’s important to know the proper disposal methods if your company or
organization is producing wastes that are deemed hazardous.
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12. Q5 : Regulation / Laws of the
Solid Waste and Hazardous
Waste in the US and South
Korea (briefly)?
Question 5.1. Conducted by The EPA?
Question 5.2. Conducted by the Ministry of Environment of South Korea and
District Authorities?
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13. Answer 5.1 : EPA - RCRA
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The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is the public law that creates the
framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste.
The law describes the waste management program mandated by the US. Congress that
gave EPA authority to develop the RCRA program.
The RCRA regulations are contained in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
parts 239 through 282. (https://www.epa.gov/rcra/resource-conservation-and-recovery-
act-rcra-regulations#nonhaz)

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Environmental
Protection Agency
(EPA) – Declared on
December 2nd 1970
RCRA (1976)
Cradle-to-Grave for Control
Hazardous Waste
(Generation, Transportation,
treatment, Storage and
Disposal of Hazardous waste
Subtitle D : Non-hazardous
solid waste requirements
Municipal Solid Waste
Regulations
Landfill Regulations
Subtitle C : Hazardous solid
waste regulations
HWSA (1984), Focused on
waste minimization &
phasing out land disposal of
toxic waste with corrective
action to releases → Land
Disposal Restrictions (LDR).
Disposal Prohibition
Dilution Prohibition
Storage Prohibition
Amendments RCRA (1986)
Additionally addressing the
tank storing petroleum &
other hazardous substances
https://www.epa.gov/rcra/resource-conservation-and-recovery-act-rcra-overview

15. EPA’s Cradle-to-Grave Hazardous Waste Management Program
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16. Answer 5.2. : MoE and WCA
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Ministry of Environment (MoE)
Framework Act on
Environmental Policy (FAEP)
Article 35 of Constitutions
Underlined of the Article:
Point 2 (Removal of Hazardous
Materials)
Point 3 (Sampling of Suspicious
Substances)
Regulations & Sanctions

17. ➢ https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/30317
➢ www.epa.gov/hw/learn-basics-hazardous-waste
➢ https://www.epa.gov/rcra/resource-conservation-and-recovery-act-rcra-
regulations#nonhaz
➢ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340004315_Solid_Waste_Engineering_-
_A_Global_Perspective
➢ https://www.academia.edu/7908917/Korean_waste_management
➢ https://www.epa.gov/rcra/resource-conservation-and-recovery-act-rcra-overview
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References :
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