Waste Management Laws and Regulations

Every business must understand and remain up to date with waste management laws and regulations to manage trash properly. Failure to comply with the relevant waste management rules can lead to big fines and reputational harm. Knowing where to start can be tricky, but we’ve picked out the main laws to help you get started.

The main federal law that covers waste management and disposal in the USA is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). This governs solid and hazardous waste disposal and was introduced in 1976, but has undergone various amendments. It places a responsibility on businesses to ensure they manage their waste properly.

There are many more waste management laws and regulations on a federal, state, and local level that companies of any size, industry, or location must comply with. Discover everything your business needs to know about waste management laws and regulations with this guide.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) governs waste management on a national level across the US. It oversees the RCRA to regulate domestic, industrial, and manufacturing solid and hazardous waste. This aims to ensure safe disposal, improve recycling and recovery, and reduce and eliminate waste.

The RCRA authorizes the EPA to control hazardous waste including transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal. It also applies a responsibility to companies to ensure all their commercial waste is managed properly. This includes labeling trash materials, ensuring transportation to authorized waste facilities, and keeping records of waste activities should any EPA inspectors request to see them.

Waste management requirements can vary based on the location of your business. Many states have a waste management policy and regulations that apply mandatory recycling for specific items and restrict or ban certain materials from landfill. It’s important that you check the local and state regulations for your location and those that apply to your business.

For example, there’s the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act that establishes waste management policies for industrial and hazardous waste across the state. This enables enforcement action to protect human health and the environment. There’s also the Electronic Waste Recycling Act in California, which outlines guidelines to handle and recycle e-waste in the state.

The waste disposal and recycling regulations can affect recycling rates across states. Generally, those states with stricter waste management regulations and policies in place may experience higher levels of recycling. Penalties and fines for non-compliance with state and local waste management laws also vary across different locations.

Waste management regulatory compliance protects your business against potential fines and penalties for improper storage, removal, and disposal. It ensures your commercial trash is managed safely and legally. This reduces any extra costs to clear up problems and additional labor to sort out problems due to compliance issues.

Compliance with waste laws also has a positive environmental impact. The laws and regulations are in place so waste materials are disposed of appropriately via methods that have as minimal effect as possible on the environment. They aim to ensure hazardous materials are disposed of safely without risking human health or environmental harm.

These are a few things you can do to ensure waste management compliance for your organization:

• Conduct a waste audit – regulations can apply to specific types of trash, so it’s important to have a good overview of the volumes and waste streams your business produces. Review what garbage your company creates and check federal and state regulations to ensure it’s all stored, removed, and disposed of safely.