Universal Waste Storage and Handling
There are five main categories of universal waste: batteries, lamps, pesticides, aerosol cans, and mercury-containing equipment. These special categories of hazardous wastes are meant to reduce the management burden and facilitate the recycling of universal wastes. This course will cover storage, container labeling, handling, and spill cleanup procedures for universal wastes.
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Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- List the five categories of universal waste
- Describe universal waste requirements
- Describe appropriate storage and handling procedures for each type of universal waste
- Explain the hazards of universal wastes
- Recall general cleanup actions for universal waste
Specs
| Course Level | Intermediate |
| Languages | English, Spanish |
| Compatibility | Audio, Video |
| Based on: | 40 CFR: Part 273 |
Key Questions
What batteries are considered universal waste?
Spent lead acid, rechargeable (NiCd or NiMH), lithium ion, and button-cell batteries are considered universal waste.
What are universal waste lamps?
Universal waste lamps include fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), high intensity discharge (HID) bulbs, and neon bulbs.
What types of equipment contain mercury?
Some electrical switches, thermometers, thermocouples, thermostats, and barometers all contain mercury.
What pesticides are considered universal waste?
Only pesticides that have been recalled under FIFRA or collected as part of a waste pesticide management program recognized by the state or federal regulatory agency are considered universal waste.
How should universal wastes be stored?
All universal wastes should be stored in a designated central location in their own container that is compatible with the waste being stored. Each type of universal waste has special storage considerations that are covered in this course.
Sample Video Transcript
There are some lamps or light bulbs that are considered hazardous because they contain mercury. Universal waste lamps include fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps, high-intensity discharge bulbs, and neon bulbs. Recycling lamps is important because it prevents the release of mercury and allows the reuse of other bulb materials. Even though CFLs contain mercury, their use results in less mercury entering the environment than that caused by incandescent bulb use. Coal-burning power plants are the largest source of mercury released to the environment. So, powering the less efficient incandescent bulbs actually leads to a greater mercury release per lumen than disposing of used CFLs does.
Additional Resources
- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – www.epa.gov
- EPA Hazardous Waste – https://www.epa.gov/hw/universal-waste
- Frequent Questions – https://www.epa.gov/hw/frequent-questions-about-universal-waste
- General Requirements – https://www.epa.gov/hw/differences-between-universal-waste-and-hazardous-waste-regulations
Course Applies To
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