Hazardous waste can put people’s health at risk, hurt wildlife on land, in water, and in the air, and damage plants and trees over time. The effects can happen right away, maybe by touching the skin, or they can take a long time. Mercury and lead, for example, stay in nature and accumulate over time, getting into plants, animals, and finally humans through the food chain.

There is a substantial threat if hazardous waste is:

• spread out over a wide area or released in a great quantity at once.
• Released into the environment in any form, including air, water, or land.
• accidentally absorbed by a living being through the skin or breathing.
• spilled or leaked as a result of incorrect storage or disposal, which can lead to fires and other disasters.

In order to properly dispose of hazardous waste and comply with legal requirements, you must:

• Keep them apart; it’s against the law to combine any kind of hazardous waste with another.
• Keep it safely stored away in an appropriate container.
• Ensure that you choose a qualified waste hauler to handle the transportation of your waste
• Make and keep a record of consignment notes and other papers related to the transportation of hazardous waste.