Applicability of the Universal Waste Rule

When determining if a hazardous waste is regulated by the Universal Waste Rule, it is important to be aware of the criteria that define general categories of waste. For example, the general category of waste lamps includes many types of lamps, such as fluorescent, halogen, and others that must be handled as universal waste. However, some lamps are not considered to be hazardous waste, so the requirements of the Universal Waste Rule do not apply to them. For example, "green" lamps that pass a test for toxicity called the "toxicity characteristic leaching procedure" (TCLP) are not covered by the Universal Waste Rule.

Some hazardous wastes may be handled under either the RCRA hazardous waste regulations or the Universal Waste Rule. For example, spent lead-acid batteries are subject to full RCRA hazardous waste regulations, as we learned earlier in this course. However, under certain circumstances, these batteries may instead be managed as universal waste. On the other hand, nickel and cadmium batteries are allowed to be managed according to the Universal Waste Rule.

To learn more about RCRA visit our RCRA Hazardous Waste Safety Online Training web page.