What are Hazardous Wastes?

All toxic, flammable, combustible, carcinogenic, irritant wastes that are harmful to humans or the environment are referred to as hazardous wastes. Having a negative impact on all living species and human health, this type of waste is harmful to the environment and usually generated by industrial sectors. These wastes, of which the components have the potential to harm the environment, are generated by mining and oil production, agricultural chemicals, industry, and domestic activities. The pollution generated further deepens the climate crisis.

Raising awareness on hazardous waste is one of the prominent factors in order to protect the environment. For example, separating dead batteries to the waste battery containers instead of putting them in trash makes a great contribution to the environment than we can think of. This goes the same for the waste oils generated in our kitchen.

This article lists what hazardous wastes are, why these hazardous wastes are dangerous and what to do to take measures. Enjoy.

What are the Types of Hazardous Wastes?

Materials and products that can be listed as hazardous waste are as follows;

• Contaminated materials,
• Surface treatment residues,
• All spilled and/or misused substances,
• Industrial process residues,
• Expired products,
• Process residues used to prevent pollution,
• Non-standard products,
• Materials that have lost their values and properties,
• Some materials brought for recycling or reuse.

Major Categories of Hazardous Wastes

Products, such as differentiated and deteriorated products, industrial wastes, chemical residues due to the mistakes in using, have a direct impact on the environmental health. These wastes can be collected under four main categories;

1. Flammable, combustible materials
2. Corrosive substances
3. Toxic substances
4. Reactive Materials

Please check this reference for further information on hazardous wastes.

The Most Common Hazardous Wastes in Turkey

There are several 'hazardous' wastes within the industrial and domestic wastes generated in Turkey. For example, it is a fact that the batteries we use in our remotes cause great damage to the environment. Similarly, the oils we use while cooking in our kitchens severely pollute our water supplies if they are drained to the sink. So, what are the most common 'hazardous' wastes?

• Dead batteries and accumulators,
• Machine-engine grease & oils
• Waste oils,
• Packaging that have lost their functions, such as paint cans, oil cans, chemical containers, etc.,
• Greasy vehicle parts,
• Fluorescent bulbs,
• Products contaminated while using dangerous goods, i.e., cloths, gloves, etc.,
• Paint residues, residues of polishing materials,
• Cartridges and toners.

How to Control Hazardous Wastes?

The control and responsible disposal of hazardous waste is significant to protect the environment. It is of great importance to collect these wastes in designated areas called 'landfills'. “Landfill” is a specially designed area where such hazardous wastes are collected via special methods, separated according to their categories and prevented from mixing with nature. The disposal of wastes that pose a risk for environment pollution and human health depend on some methods and factors. For example, there are some special rules for incineration, disposal and confinement in wells, discharging to a water body, disposal on land or underground.

The first rule of to control hazardous wastes is accurate "storage". Another significant process is “treatment”. When treated via accurate methods, the hazardous waste content is decreased and the waste can be converted into a non-hazardous form. Moreover, waste “collection and transportation” should be carried out by trained personnel.

Household Hazardous Wastes

Main examples of household hazardous wastes can be listed as chemicals used for gardening, some cleaning materials, batteries, chlorine, paint, paint thinner, pesticides, grease & oil, ammonia, gasoline, kerosene, bleach, accumulators, fungicides, swimming pool chemicals, thermometers, herbicides, agricultural pesticides, insecticides, methylated spirits, etc.

1. Waste batteries
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Batteries should be separated from household wastes and should not be just thrown away with the garbage. Otherwise, the outer shell of the batteries will be punctured in time and the chemicals / metals they contain will contaminate soil and water. Just one alkaline battery contains approximately 0.05 grams of mercury, and 1 gram of mercury poisons around 10,000,000 liters of water.

Just one alkaline battery poisons 4 m3 of soil!

So, what should we do with the waste batteries in our house? We should collect them in a separate container and ensure that the waste batteries are sent to the landfills through the headmen’s office or the municipalities that govern. Most of the shopping malls have 'waste battery' containers. We can contribute to the protection of environment just by throwing our batteries into these containers in municipal buildings or shopping malls. We can put efforts to raise public awareness on this issue, and encourage our loved ones and relatives to dispose of their batteries responsibly. We should not think, 'It is just one battery', but keep in mind that just one alkaline battery poisons 4 m3 of soil.

2. Waste Vegetable Oils
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Some vegetable oils specified in the Waste Management Regulation as well as used fry oils are harmful to the environment. We know that this type of domestic-use waste oils are eco-toxic, and can reach seas, lakes and streams, and cause death of fish and other species. Used fry oils disposed to the kitchen sink account for 25% of the water pollution. For example, 1 liter of waste vegetable oil pollutes 1 million m3 of drinking water. Disposing of waste fry oils into the sink means polluting our water supplies seriously. However, disposing them to the trash is more serious than disposing them to the sink. Another method is to send the waste vegetable oils used in our homes to the landfills through the municipalities or the headman's office.

3. Medical Wastes

Band-Aids used at home, cottons contaminated with blood, and expired medicines should be considered as “medical wastes”. These wastes should be stored separately from our garbage and should be taken to the Waste Collection Centers of the cities and disposed of under appropriate conditions. It is of great importance that we separate the 'medical' wastes we generate at home from other wastes.

4. Fluorescent Lamps
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Light bulbs / fluorescents contain mercury and mercury mixes with the air, soil and water and is toxic. The mercury content in one fluorescent lamp pollutes around 30 tons of water. Breathing mercury vapor, in particular, seriously threatens human health. Hence, used/old fluorescent lamps should be collected with utmost attention and not be broken, and they should be taken to the collection points designated by municipalities and licensed companies.

5. Electronic wastes
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Used/Old computers, mobile phones, small and large home appliances that have completed their economic lives should also be categorized as hazardous wastes. These electronic wastes may contain hazardous and toxic substances. Besides, these products may also contain recyclable metals, glass and plastic materials. They may have aluminum, steel, copper or composites in them. If we dispose these electronic wastes directly to the environment, we would be polluting the environment as well as destroying an asset that can be recycled as raw material. Thus, electronic wastes should be taken to the collection points designated by municipalities or to companies licensed for waste collection.

Figures That Every Conscious Citizen Should Know

• If we recycle 1 ton of glass, we would save 100 liters of gas.
• If we recycle 1 ton of plastics, we would save 16.3 barrels of gas.
• If we do not just dispose of one alkaline battery in the trash, we would avoid polluting 800,000 liters of water and 4 m2 of soil.
• If we save 1 ton of paper / cardboard, we would save 17 trees from being cut down.
• If we avoid disposing of 1 liter of waste oil into the sink, we would prevent contamination of 1 million liters of drinking water.

Why Raising Awareness is Important in Preventing Hazardous Wastes?

As we have already mentioned above, even a single battery can pollute 4 m3 of soil and create poisoned environment that cannot be cleaned for years. Protecting our soil, water and air is more important than ever. It is of great significance that we separate hazardous wastes in order to tackle the climate change and not harm the environment. Unfortunately, we cannot say everyone is aware of this significant issue. For example, thousands of batteries are disposed of to waste bins every day and poisoning our soil. That's why we should discuss about hazardous wastes with our loved ones, friends and children, and teach them what they should do. Furthermore, we can contact the governing bodies where we live and encourage the necessary channels for recycling of hazardous wastes take action. For example, waste battery containers to be placed anywhere in the neighborhood can prevent the contamination of thousands of cubic meters of soil per year! Even finding out and telling the locations of municipal waste collection areas is a great contribution to the environment. Check this study by Beşiktaş Municipality in Istanbul, and then maybe find out the waste collection areas in your own district. In brief, we all have to assume our responsibilities, and take individual measures for hazardous wastes.