How To Dispose of Hazardous Waste in Sydney
Sydneysiders face a massive waste problem as the city grows to over 1.3 million people by 2030. This is alarming, given that the metropolis's rubbish grows six times more than its population!
While you can easily throw most of this rubbish in your bins, it’s different for hazardous items. Expired paint is an example. It can contaminate surface or ground waters when not handled carefully or poured down the drain or sewer.
Not only can it likely pollute Sydney’s scarce water source, but it also poses other health risks. This is just one case among many. That’s why proper disposal of hazardous waste is critical to environmental responsibility, often done by paying little attention to what you discard.
Thankfully, your vibrant neighbourhood doesn’t need to tackle this arduous task alone. Professional services like All Rubbish Gone Removals specialise in domestic and commercial hazardous waste collection, ensuring responsible disposal to minimise risks.
Read on to learn more about the safe and legal disposal of hazardous waste in your home, office, or business.
What Is Hazardous Waste?
Hazardous waste is any discarded material that can harm human health or the environment. While it comes in many forms, hazardous waste can be easily identified depending on the product’s codes or characteristics.
The EPA assigns codes to determine if an object contains hazardous substances (in the F, K, P, & U lists). Other than that, hazardous waste typically poses a sufficient threat with these characteristics:
- Ignitability - discarded flammable items that can easily create fire when exposed to heat or sparks, including paint, gasoline, and a whole array of solvents.
- Corrosivity - wastes that can rust and erode even steel materials like acid from thrown batteries, cleaning agents, pesticides, fertilisers, etc.
- Reactivity - any junked products that tend to be unstable, explosive or water-reactive, such as damaged lithium batteries, gas tanks, or plating bath wastes with cyanides.
- Toxicity - garbage that is fatally harmful when in contact, ingested or absorbed, such as asbestos, electronic scraps, medical wastes, and chemicals.
That’s why the inept handling of these waste types has grim consequences. For example, discharged hazardous substances contaminate groundwater, which becomes unsafe to drink or use for irrigation. When this further risks human health, it leads to potential legal consequences.
Common Types of Hazardous Waste in Sydney
Australia generates about 8 million tonnes of hazardous waste annually. While Sydney contributes a lot to this, the dangerous waste typically comes from household, industrial, or manufacturing processes.
Household Hazardous Waste
Most hazardous wastes, if not all, have specific disposal instructions to avoid mixing them with typical household trash. Here are some residential dangerous waste you need to look out for:
- Automobile batteries
- Motor oil
- Paints and solvents
- Drain opener
- Household cleaners
- Pesticides
- Furniture, wood, or silver polish
- Compressed gas tanks (including propane or oxygen capsules)
Industrial & Commercial Hazardous Waste
Identifying hazardous wastes can be very complex, especially from commercial and industrial sources. In Sydney alone, businesses generate over 300,000 tonnes of hazardous waste (mainly contaminated soil). It constitutes some of the following:
- Lead acid batteries
- Pesticides
- Mercury-containing equipment
- Lamps
- Aerosol cans
- Clinical or medical wastes
- Mineral oil
- Grease trap waste
- Organic solvents
- Tyres
- Asbestos-containing materials
- E-wastes
Legal Guidelines for Hazardous Waste Regulation
The NSW EPA has strict regulations to carry out safe and responsible tasks related to hazardous waste. For example, licensing is a requirement when generating, storing, treating, transporting, and disposing of these unsafe waste types.
While hazardous items are not permitted in the general waste bin, their transport can be traced online through WasteLocate systems. This lets waste producers and transporters know when the delivered items arrive at the receiving facilities.
These collected hazardous wastes typically don’t end up in landfills. However, the EPA can approve a special process to make them safe for landfills. This is the case for naturally stable or treated toxic wastes coming from:
- Community Recycling Centres: handling and disposing of low-toxicity materials.
- Household Chemical CleanOut: taking hazardous wastes on specified dates.
- Asbestos Disposal: disposing of bonded asbestos, delivered in the Blaxland landfill.
Penalties for Improper Disposal
In 2012, pesticides got their way in a creek in Blue Mountains, NSW, killing over 1,000 crayfish. According to the POEO Act, this wilful or negligent action penalises individuals with $1-2 million in fines and 4-7 years of imprisonment.
In illegally dumped wastes containing asbestos, an individual may face a $1 million fine, while $4 million for corporations. These fines cover costly restoration and cleanup efforts. Compliance with disposal regulations is crucial to prevent legal and hefty consequences.
Step-by-Step Guide to Safe Hazardous Waste Disposal in Sydney
Is it easy to dispose of hazardous waste in Sydney? This depends, especially if you handle a huge rubbish pile daily. Here are some quick tips to do it:
Identify Hazardous Waste
Keep an eye out for warning symbols on product labels like skulls for toxic substances. Yet, not all products use symbols as warnings, so be sure to read them to prevent mishaps. If you’re still unsure, consult the NSW government’s comprehensive list of hazardous materials.
Segregate and Store Safely
Never use food containers to store hazardous waste. Keep them in their original containers, with clear labels, out of children's and pets' reach if possible. Store them in a cold, dry place away from other products and heat sources.
Use Licensed Hazardous Waste Disposal
Community recycling centres accept 20 kilograms or litres of each waste type. Yet dropping off these unwanted items on your own is tiring. That’s why engaging with licensed services like All Gone Rubbish Removal ensures hassle-free, safe collections and disposal of hazardous wastes.
The Role of All Gone Rubbish Removals in Hazardous Waste Disposal
At All Gone Rubbish Removals, we’ve been helping thousands of families and businesses around Sydney with responsible waste collection and disposal. We offer exceptional services in collecting and disposing of all kinds of hazardous waste through our:
- Expertise in Hazardous Waste: With years of proven industry experience, we truly understand the risks associated with hazardous waste. That’s why we’re confident with our skills and knowledge in handling various types of risky junk safely and efficiently.
- Compliance with Safe Disposal: Our unparalleled commitment to adhere to all NSW regulations governing hazardous waste disposal. We’re licensed and equipped with advanced tools to collect, transport, and dispose of any highly toxic rubbish.
- Customised Waste Management Solutions: Every residential and commercial property generates varying amounts and types of hazardous waste. This is why we customise actionable plans to fit your needs, whether for small or large-scale, or generalised to specialised disposal projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifies as hazardous waste?
Any leftover or discarded products are hazardous when they threaten your health or the environment. They are harmful by possessing one of these characteristics: flammable (ignitable), corrosive, toxic (infectious), and reactive. It includes paint, solvents, batteries, pesticides, cleaning products, mercury-containing items, and e-waste.
How do I know if my waste is hazardous?
Check the labels for warning signs or symbols indicating flammable, corrosive, toxic, or reactive. You can also research the product’s safety data sheet (SDS) to understand its composition. If still unsure, contact your nearest hazardous waste facilities or professionals like All Gone Rubbish Removals.
Can I dispose of hazardous waste in regular bins?
No, hazardous waste should never be thrown in the general rubbish bin or poured down the drain and into the soil. It can contaminate other waste or react, potentially causing corrosion, fire, or even explosions in severe cases.
What should I do with old batteries and electronics?
In Sydney, community centres’ drop-off bins and curbside collection services often accept batteries and e-waste. You can also take them to specialised recycling facilities. When this is too much of a hassle for you, hire professionals like All Gone Rubbish Removals to ensure swifter and safer hazardous waste disposal.
How much does it cost to dispose of hazardous waste?
This varies depending on the type and amount of your hazardous waste. Some harmful junk can be more expensive to dispose of than others. Bulkier hazardous waste volumes entail pricier disposal fees, especially if you’re far from receiving facilities.
Book A Reliable Hazardous Waste Disposal With Us
Safely identifying, storing, and disposing hazardous waste is crucial to circumventing its grim consequences. If not handled properly, this can expose anyone’s health and environment to further risks. Leverage your local council centres’ services to solve this.
While community centres are busy covering all of NSW, entrust professional services for prompt and reliable hazardous waste disposal. At All Gone Rubbish Removals, we have over a decade of industry experience providing comprehensive dangerous waste disposal.
All Gone Rubbish Removals provides same-day rubbish removal services across Sydney, the Central Coast, Gosford, Newcastle, and the Gold Coast. Call us today at 0420 102 118 for your area's best-priced rubbish removal service!
Driven by a passion for helping customers achieve clutter-free spaces, All Gone Rubbish Removals has become a go-to resource for waste management, featuring over 100 expert articles on rubbish removal and sustainability. Aaron’s dedication to efficiency and customer satisfaction ensures his business remains a leader in the industry.
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