Waste Advice
DON’T MIX EMPTY CONTAINERS OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES WITH YOUR GENERAL WASTE Did you know that most ‘empty’ containers of adhesive and sealant from installation work are actually classified as HAZARDOUS WASTE? This means that they should never be mixed with other general waste and can only be collected by a specialist hazardous waste contractor or taken to a specialist disposal facility that is licensed to process hazardous waste. Jason Mohr, founder of bulky waste collection company Anyjunk. co.uk, explains why the installation community should be wary of turning a blind eye to this issue and how best to address it. OLD HABITS FROM OLD LAW Before 2015, the law allowed you to treat pots and tubes of hazardous substances with only small amounts of residue as non-hazardous. The test was whether the weight of the residual contents was less than 2% of the weight of the packaging. If it was, you could ignore it. As a result contractors and installation brands grew accustomed to throwing away finished tubes of silicon and glue etc. with their other waste and it all being disposed of together.
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Jason Mohr, CEO, ANYJUNK
