Hazardous Waste Classification

RCRA regulates materials known as "solid wastes." If a waste is not considered a solid waste, it is not covered by the RCRA standards regardless of the waste's potential hazards. It is essential for generators, transporters, and owners and operators of TSDFs to know the legal definition of a solid waste so that they can understand what makes something a hazardous waste.

In general, a solid waste is a material classified as follows:

• Abandoned - Materials that are disposed of, burned, incinerated, or sham recycled.
• Inherently waste-like - Materials so toxic that they are always considered to be solid wastes.
• Discarded military munitions - Military munitions and related ammunition products produced for or used by the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Armed Forces. Used munitions may be considered solid waste if they are collected for storage, recycling, treatment, or disposal. Unused or defective munitions are considered solid waste when they meet at least one of the following criteria:
  • Abandoned or treated before disposal
  • Rendered non-recyclable or non-useable due to deterioration
  • Declared a waste by an authorized military official
• Recycled in certain ways - There are many exclusions to solid waste that relate to recycling. Generally, this category includes materials that meet at least one of the following criteria:
  • Recycled through being used or reused, reclaimed, or reused in certain ways (for example, as a manufacturing ingredient)
  • Reclaimed
  • Used in certain ways (for example, burned for energy recovery)

To learn more about RCRA safety standards visit our RCRA Refresher Online Training web page.