Definition of Hazardous Waste

A residue It's that one material or product that ceases to be useful in the way in which it was, and after having fulfilled a certain function for a certain period of time, then, as a consequence of such a situation, we decided discard itgenerally by throwing it away.

Class of wastes that have a high degree of contamination, that come from industries, hospitals, and that require controlled disposal

Meanwhile, hazardous waste is those waste that result from materials or products that are no longer used and that due to the properties and characteristics they display, which are detrimental to the health of living beings and the environment, they are classified as dangerous, demanding a controlled evacuation in which, of course, priority is not given to direct contact with people who do not know or are not specially prepared to handle them.

Among the aforementioned properties that are harmful to both health and the environment, the following stand out: possibility of causing poisoning, explosions, chemical reactions, radiation and corrosion, among other

Types of hazardous waste

Some of the types of hazardous waste with which we can most frequently come across in our environment are: the emanations of industrial smokestacks, spills of toxic products into surface waters where people and animals interact, the presence of pesticides in food like fruits and vegetables, hospital waste, waste from mining or oil activities, and those generated by those that produce plastics, among others.

Legislation regulating responsible disposal

It should be noted that due to the very important negative impact at the environmental and health level of the population, that these residues produce, is that for some time, governments, at the request of complaints from private individuals and organizations who defend the environment, began to pay special attention to the problems that arise from this type of waste, and therefore they are no longer disposed of together with household waste as it used to be done, but a special regulation has been provided for them that indicates how their final removal should be safe.

According to the majority of current legislation on hazardous waste, companies, or those who produce them, They are obliged to classify them as such and to contract special services that guarantee their correct processing and neutralization.

Obviously the same legislation It provides harsh penalties for those who do not act in accordance with this provision, because of course, the health of people and the planet depends on this care.

Now, it is important that we mention that in recent years there has been an awareness at the state level and the society in general regarding the need to act more rigorously as regards the disposal of this type of waste treats.

Before it was common for the same truck, which for example transported food substances, then was used to remove the waste that are produced in a hospital, certainly an irresponsibility and lack of judgment regarding the damage that this can cause to the health of the people.

And this was so in large part because they were not considered as dangerous, something that of course today has completely changed, fortunately, and they are given special treatment because they are potential pollutants on the planet, and they can also carry pathological agents such as viruses bacteria, among others.

Awareness about the need to care for the environment has marked the change and raised awareness

There was no regulation in this regard and not much information either, this state of affairs today has been overcome, and for example, it has been possible to modify the methodology collection that is extremely careful, and of course if you do not respect the rules, certain penalties are received.

The awareness about caring for the environment that has been growing in recent decades was essential to achieve changes in this regard.

Hospitals generate a significant amount of waste daily, and that they are potential carriers diseases to the healthy population if they are not discarded properly and following the recommendations.

Hospital waste is transported by companies that have a special municipal authorization to later be treated differentially in special and authorized places.

Meanwhile, once they have been processed and they are no longer hazardous, they can be treated as common waste.

It is essential, to guarantee the correct procedure, that there is a control agency that not only corroborate that this process is fulfilled but also that it trains the staff and carries out an awareness campaign to the respect.

Hazardous Waste Issues