Waste

Description

Household

Includes waste from premises occupied by charities, land belonging to domestic property or residential homes

Industrial

Includes waste from commercial garages, maintenance premises (for vehicles, vessels, and aircraft), laboratories, workshops, waste from vehicles, vessels and aircraft not used for domestic purposes, waste oils, solvents and scrap metal.

Commercial

Includes waste from offices, government departments, and local and central government premises, wholesalers.

Clinical

Any waste contaminated with human or animal blood or bodily fluids, needles or waste that may cause infection is defined as clinical waste under the Controlled Waste Regulations 1992.

Hazardous/Special

Hazardous waste is known as "Special Waste" in the UK and covered by the Special Waste Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/972). Under the new Regulations, any wastes which is on the EU Hazardous Waste List (published 1994), and possess one or more of the hazardous properties set out in the Hazardous Waste Directive (91/689/EEC) is special waste. In addition, any commercial or industrial waste not on the list but displays one of a few hazardous properties is also classified as special waste. Examples of special wastes include mineral oils, asbestos, nickel-cadmium batteries and some waste paints.

Inert/Inactive

Covers material that does not undergo significant physical or chemical reactions or cause environmental problems when deposited as a landfill under normal conditions. Examples are masonry and brick rubble and uncontaminated soils in their natural state.

Non-hazardous

A general term used to refer to waste with no known or immediate hazard connected with its handling or disposal. It may possess some reactive property such as biodegradation that places the waste in this category rather than inert classification. Examples are wood, paper and cardboard.

Difficult

Generally used to describe waste that could in certain circumstances be harmful in the long or short term due to their chemical or biological properties. Additionally, this term includes wastes whose chemical properties present handling problems at the point of disposal. Examples include used vehicle tyres. However, some difficult wastes may be special wastes.

Toxic

Waste substances and preparations which, if they are inhaled or ingested of if they penetrate the skin, may involve serious, acute or chronic health risks and even death. Such wastes will be special if the toxic component is equal to or greater than 3%, or if the wastes contain greater than 0.1% concentration of a very toxic substance.