Handling Chemicals and Hazardous Waste
What is Hazardous Waste?
Hazardous waste is waste that can harm human health or the environment. It can be corrosive, carcinogenic, toxic, flammable, or explosive. Common types of hazardous waste include used oil, paint residues, batteries, light bulbs, various chemicals, and electronic waste containing hazardous components.
Use practical waste containers and recyclable sorting containers with clear labelling to separate different types of waste and residues. Clear guidelines on waste collection reduce the risk of incorrect disposal.
Which materials count as chemicals?
The Swedish Chemical Society's Nomenclature Committee defined a chemical in 2001 as a macroscopic homogeneous element or chemical compound applied in an industrial or commercial process. This might sound vague to those unfamiliar with chemistry, but essentially, chemicals are all around us.
The key is identifying which chemicals are harmful to people, animals, and the environment. All hazardous chemical products must be classified, labelled, and packaged according to the EU’s CLP Regulation (Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation No. 1272/2008). The Swedish Chemicals Agency’s website offers extensive information.
Storage of Hazardous Chemicals
Storing chemicals always carries a risk of spills and leaks. It's important to prevent these from causing harm or dangerous chemical reactions.
What's the best way to store chemicals?
Key points for chemical storage:- Store chemicals in ventilated chemical cabinets, environmental cabinets, acid cabinets, or chemical storage rooms.
- Separate chemicals if their spills can cause dangerous reactions when mixed.
- Use collecting containers, spill basins, spill protection.
- Do not store acids with bases, strong acids with organic substances, or highly oxidising substances with oxidisable substances.
- Ensure chemicals are stored securely away from unauthorised access, such as in lockable chemical cabinets.
Handling Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste should never be thrown in the bin, mixed with other waste, or poured down the drain. Private individuals can take their hazardous waste to a recycling centre. Waste sorting requirements apply to both individuals and businesses, but businesses must follow specific rules for sorting, documenting, and transporting hazardous waste.
As a business owner, you must understand how your hazardous waste affects the environment and health and the rules for handling and classifying the waste. You must document the hazardous waste in your operations and prevent its occurrence. You are also responsible for ensuring the transporter and receiver have the necessary permits.
Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Register
From 1 November 2020, all businesses in Sweden must report to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s waste register when they dispose of hazardous waste. This applies to all businesses that produce, transport, collect, broker, trade, or treat hazardous waste.
The waste register provides a clearer picture of hazardous waste flows in Sweden, increasing the likelihood of proper waste management. Over 2 million tonnes of hazardous waste are generated annually in Sweden. To achieve the environmental goal of a non-toxic environment and promote the transition to a circular economy, waste reuse must increase, and waste generation must decrease.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s website offers guidance and support for managing hazardous waste.
Contact Us for Waste Sorting Solutions!
If you have any questions about, for example, environmental cabinets or containers for waste sorting, you are welcome to contact us. We're always happy to help!
Here you can find all of our chemical management products