Waste disposal is a worldwide issue for companies that generate waste, especially that of a hazardous nature. Due to the potential harm that the waste can cause, in most cases the companies will look to call upon the services of waste management specialists who have the required experience and equipment to handle the situation.

Currently in the UK, any company that produces more than 500 liters or kilograms of hazardous waste in a year has to register with the Environment Agency and require the services of registered Waste Management and disposal companies.

Generally the waste is the product of a process (such as rig decommission) or due to spillage, which is actually quite common in many industries, such as oil and gas. The chemical industry also generates a lot naturally as part of the business.

Regardless of the cause or the industry, many companies will have specialist contracts with specialist waste management companies to ensure efficient collection and disposal processes. In addition to the standard arrangements, its most likely that they will need to have them on call at all times in the event of an unforeseen circumstance, such as a leak or spill.

The process of waste management can be described in quite simple terms. Generally speaking the hazardous waste must be collected first from the site, where it will usually have been already stored in a temporary basis. The specialist company will then transfer them away from the premises, most often separating the substances if required. Typical examples of separation could be a collection of oily water, mud and cuttings from a company in the oil industry – all of which can be separated and dealt with appropriately.

The specialists are of course required to have licensed facilities in which they can transfer and treat the contaminated waste before disposing of it.

Waste Management is a big business in the UK and worldwide, those companies who are involved in the industry are certainly going to be busy for a long time to come!