Hazardous Waste is refuse that can cause severe harm to humans or the environment if not properly handled or disposed of. While it can come in the form of solids, liquids, gases, or sludges, hazardous waste can also be classified as either toxic, reactive, infectious, or radioactive. Generators of this form of waste are required to make sure that their waste is properly contained and disposed of in a safe and appropriate manner.

Once the refuse has been determined by its generator as being hazardous, it then has to be treated before it is then taken away. From there, the waste is transported for disposal or processing for recycling. While most hazardous waste can be recycled, some still have to be treated and stored, which has the risk of spills, fires, leaks, and environmental pollution.

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Other Sources

EPA. “Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste.” EPA. May 3, 2016. https://www.epa.gov/hw/learn-basics-hazardous-waste. Accessed May 25, 2016.

Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "hazardous-waste management", accessed May 25, 2016, http://www.britannica.com/technology/hazardous-waste-management.

Definition

Household waste, also known as domestic waste or residential waste, is disposable materials generated by households. This waste can be comprised of non-hazardous waste and hazardous waste. Non-hazardous waste can include food scraps, paper, bottles, etc. which can be recycled or composted. Examples of hazardous waste include batteries and household cleaners. It is important that hazardous waste is handled in a safe manner to ensure that they are disposed properly so they do not cause harm.

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The amount of household waste produced by household can vary depending on factors like revenue and lifestyle. According to Global News “Canada produces 720 kilograms of waste per capita on average every year.” There are many ways household waste can be reduced including donating clothes, eliminating single use plastics and buying sustainable options (bamboo toothbrush over plastic toothbrush).

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Other Sources

Dubé, Dani-Elle. “Earth Month: 6 ways to reduce your household waste.” Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/4143259/earth-month-reduce-household-waste/. Accessed September 27, 2019.

“Household Waste.” Business Dictionary. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/household-waste.html. Accessed May 25, 2016.

“Household Waste.” OECD. November 19, 2001. https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=1261. Accessed May 25, 2016.

EPA. “Household Hazardous Waste.” EPA. March 24, 2016. https://www.epa.gov/hw/household-hazardous-waste-hhw. Accessed May 26, 2016.

A Hauler is a person or company who moves refuse for appropriate disposal. Typically, recyclable material or waste are collected from curbsides by hydraulic trucks, who then deliver these materials to a landfill or municipal recycling facility. In the case of waste, cans and bags of the matter are disposed into the truck from the side while hydraulics push and compact the waste allow for more space for collection.

With the arrival of the standardized refuse collection in the early part of the twentieth century, horse-drawn carts served as the means for moving waste to dump sites and incinerators. In 1918, cities began to shift towards motorized trucks for collecting.

In the United States, these vehicles were open-topped for convenience but emitted the foul odour of garbage and had the risk of spilling as it traveled. These problems were quickly fixed with the introduction of covered body trucks, though this innovation introduced a new issue with collectors having to lift heavy cans above their shoulders when loading.

In 1932, Austrian inventor Jacob Ochsner and French inventor Ferrnand Rey design the hydraulic rear loading compactor trucks in Europe. This innovation carried over to North America in 1937 by Garwood, but it did not catch on until after the Second World War. Since then, hydraulic compactors have become the standard in waste and recycling management.

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Other Sources

“For Education.” Began with the Bin. http://beginwiththebin.org/resources/for-education. Accessed May 3, 2016.

“Hauler.” Oxford Dictionary. http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/english/haulier. Accessed June 27, 2016.

“History of the Garbage Man.” Garbage Man Day. http://www.garbagemanday.org/history-of-the-garbage-man/. Accessed June 27, 2016.