Califonia Department of Health Services Toxic Substances Control Division
Alternative Technology Section
March 1989
New regulations limiting land disposal of hazardous waste and rising costs of waste management provide real incentives for generators to reduce the amount of hazardous waste they generate. Waste reduction is an appealing approach because it can reduce the costs of hazardous waste management while also reducing the amount of waste destined for land disposal.
In California waste reduction is defined broadly. Source reduction, the primary approach, employs methods that eliminate or reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated by a particular production process either through process or procedure modifications or material substitutions. For the wastes remaining after all possible source reduction methods have been applied, the other approaches include recycling and treatment methods outside of the production process, in particular, these treatment methods that render the waste non-hazardous. These practices are considered waste reduction because they eliminate or reduce the amount of untreated hazardous waste that must ultimately be disposed.
While many actual waste reduction practices are specific not only to particular industries but to particular production processes within a plant, the approaches to waste reduction and the methods for implementing reduction practices are similar and can be generalized among industries and plants. Similarly, many of the advantages and difficulties of waste reduction may be common to a number of industrial applications. For example, many firms facing increasing offsite treatment and disposal costs are finding that waste reduction practices can save waste management costs, and source reduction practices can also limit the costs of future liabilities resulting from waste management. This fact sheet summarizes the components of a successful waste reduction program and provides information on the advantages and disadvantages of different waste reduction approaches.
This Fact Sheet was produced by the Technology Clearinghouse Unit to assist generators throughout the State of California.
State and federal laws require hazardous waste generators to employ available waste reduction techniques before using other waste management methods. All generators must certify on their manifests that they have a waste reduction program in place and they must submit a Biennial Generator's report. In California, generators include descriptions of the changes in hazardous waste volume and toxicity accomplished through waste reduction during the two years between reporting periods (Health and Safety Code, 25244.4).
In addition, state and federal land disposal restrictions and treatment standards provide indirect incentives for reducing hazardous waste. These regulations prohibit the land disposal of certain waste types altogether, and will prohibit the land disposal of any untreated hazardous wastes by 1990; only hazardous wastes meeting specified treatment standards will be allowed for disposal to land after the 1990 deadline (Health and Safety Code, Article 7.7). Since the level of the treatment standards will be based on waste reduction technologies, industries employing waste reduction will be best prepared to meet the standards and adjust to the upcoming restrictions. Furthermore, as the deadline nears, the demand for treatment methods is likely to drive up the cost of treatment, so those industries able to reduce wastes are also likely to save waste management costs.
Waste reduction methods are often divided into three categories following a preferred hierarchy which is:
Source Reduction consists of technologies designed to reduce the volume of wastes initially generated. These techniques are applied to the production process prior to the point of generation.
Resource Recovery is the ability to recover a beneficial "use" from a waste stream. For instance, using a waste material from one process as a raw material input for a different process. Recycling is considered to be resource recovery because it can reclaim a usable material from a waste stream. It can take place:
Although many people don't consider treatment processes waste reduction because they are not thought of as waste reduction techniques, they can be used to treat wastes and reduce the volume or hazard of the wastes generated, which in fact is waste reduction. Alternatives to standard treatment processes and waste segregation (to allow for selective treatment of waste streams) can reduce the volume of waste generated. In addition, treatment processes are included in the production process to reduce waste generation. Treatment involves processes including:
A successful waste reduction program must have complete management support for the goal of reducing wastes. This commitment should be passed on to employees, especially to those working in areas that generate hazardous waste. Employees are one of the best resources for waste reduction ideas, and their participation should be actively encouraged. Management approaches include:
Sometimes called a waste audit, a waste assessment is an essential component of a waste reduction program. Because it shows where waste reduction methods can be most effective, a waste assessment can be used for planning and allocating resources, and it can be used to measure waste reduction progress. The waste assessment can be as simple or comprehensive as the budget allows; it can be performed by staff on-site or the company can hire consultants to help. A simple assessment will at least:
Also known as "good housekeeping practices", improved operating practices are among the least costly and easiest methods to reduce hazardous waste. When hazardous materials are spilled, mixed with hazardous waste or become too old to be used, they are considered hazardous waste. These wastes can be avoided through:
Often a company can reduce hazardous wastes or avoid generating them altogether by using nonhazardous or less hazardous materials to produce products or provide services.
Some companies become so motivated to reduce hazardous wastes that they change the products they produce in order to employ nonhazardous production processes.
Inefficient or outdated production processes which could be sources of hazardous waste generation can be upgraded or replaced by a more efficient process and reduce the waste generated.
Another way that companies can reduce hazardous waste during production is to make changes in the production process. These may include:
Waste Reduction Audit Studies for these industries:
Guide to Oil Waste Management Alternatives Final Report, DHS, 1988
Guide to Solvent Waste Reduction Alternatives Final Report, DHS, 1988
Third Biennial Report on Technology for Recycling and Treatment of Hazardous Wastes, 1986
Fourth Biennial Report: Economic Implications of Source Reduction, Recycling, Treatment and Disposal of Hazardous Wastes, DHS, 1988
Department of Health Services
Toxic Substances Control Division
714/744 P Street
P.O. Box 942732
Sacramento, CA 94234-7320
Further Information
For more information, contact the Technology Clearinghouse Unit in the Alternative Technology Section at:
Department of Health Services
Toxic Substances Control Division
Alternative Technology Section
714/744 P Street
P.O. Box 9442732
Sacramento, CA 94234-7320
(916) 324-1807
For information about regulatory requirements, contact the DHS regional office nearest you:
| Region 1 | Northern California | (916) 739-3145 |
| Region 2 | North Coast California | (415) 540-2043 |
| Region 3 | Southern California | (213) 620-2380 |
| Region 4 | Long Beach | (213) 590-5950 |
To get an EPA-CA ID number, call:
Department of Health Services-Toxics Division
Program Monitoring and Personnel Section
(916) 324-1781
Last Updated: November 13, 1995