Small is beautiful (if you're a dangerous waste generator)

By Joanne Lind, Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction

All businesses have wastes to deal with. Some wastes are considered dangerous and must be handled safely and according to a complex set of rules.

It's an important topic, but not always an exciting one. At Ecology, we try to help businesses understand what they need to do in a simple, engaging way.

Our newest release is a 15-minute video, Dangerous Waste Basics: A Guide for Small Quantity Generators. 

A small quantity generator is a business that generates less than 220 pounds of dangerous waste in a month, and accumulates less than 2,200 pounds at any one time.

There are medium and large quantity generators, too, but small generators are the most common type  – an estimated 75,000 Washington businesses fit in this category. No matter how much a facility generates, they still have to manage that waste properly – even small amounts of dangerous waste can cause big problems.

This video follows another recent Ecology video, Designate Your Waste: Is it Dangerous?, which explains how to determine whether a particular waste is subject to the dangerous waste regulations.

Both videos are also available on DVD. Send us an email if you would like a free copy.

For more information about dangerous waste, or finding safer alternatives, contact your regional office of Ecology’s Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program.

We couldn’t have made the videos without these business participants. A big thanks to: 

• Loyal Family Veterinary Hospital, Bellevue
• Kitsap Transit, Bremerton
• Point Defiance Marina, Tacoma
• Kay Parks Auto Rebuild, Tacoma
• AccraFab, Liberty Lake

We also want to thank our video production partners at Twisted Scholar, and thank South Seattle Community College and Washington State Fleet Operations for welcoming us into their shops.