How to Prepare Hazardous Waste for Transportation

Industrial plants and businesses across the nation constantly produce hazardous waste. We’ve covered the four basic forms of hazardous waste; but in a nutshell, it’s defined as any substance or material that could have adverse health effects on those that come into contact with it.


Obviously, no facility manager is willing to put their employees at risk and are eager to transport waste off of their property as soon as possible. Unfortunately, this goes far beyond bagging it up and tossing it in the trash.


Let’s examine how a facility must stay in compliance with the law while prepping its waste for professional transportation and disposal.

Preparing Your Waste For Transportation

If your facility is ready to dispose of or move hazardous waste from its property, there are several preparatory steps to take into consideration. Your facility must strictly follow federal compliances in place or face charges that result in fines that could be more than $50,000.


Before you move hazardous waste off of your property, take the following preparatory steps as a starting point for avoiding any compliance issues resulting from your actions.

Ensure Your Transport is HM Registered

Any company or persons that offer hazardous waste transportation services must be registered to actually move hazardous materials. Before accepting any help from an entity, make sure that their registration is up-to-date (renewal is required annually) and that they have the capability to obtain a Hazardous Materials Safety Permit before the date you need transportation.


There are some exceptions to registration that include:

  • Employees of an agency of the Federal Government
  • State agencies and employees
  • Agencies or a political subdivision of a state
  • Hazmat employees


Anyone outside of those exceptions requires you to ensure registration in order to remain compliant with federal laws.

Create a Manifest for Your Waste Shipment

Moving hazardous waste means that you’ll need to leave a track record to your facility if something goes wrong in the process. Any hazardous waste shipment requires a manifest that documents information about the waste being transported and helps hold all parties involved accountable.


The Uniform Waste Management form from the Environmental Protection Agency allows for precise documentation of:

  • The facility that generated the waste
  • The type of waste being transported
  • Who is receiving the waste

Ensure All Waste is Classified and Properly Marked

In order for any transportation company to move forward with your needs, your waste needs to be properly classified and labeled prior to shipment.


The most essential markings you’ll need to include in your labels are:

  • The shipping name of the hazardous material
  • The identification number of the hazardous material (per package)
  • Markings must be in English
  • Hazardous materials markings must be on display over a contrasting color background
  • Marking labels must be unobscured
  • Must be separate from any other markings on the package that could deter from the importance of a hazardous materials label

Check That Your Storage is Authorized for Transportation

Waiting on transportation as well as the actual transportation process requires proper storage that is dependent on the type of materials being transported.


From cans to tanks, and bulk cars, there are several options that your facility must choose from when safely storing and transporting hazardous materials. 


We recommend speaking with your chosen transportation company well in advance in order to guarantee the storage solutions you invest in are authorized for safe transportation.

Dispose and Move Your Waste Safely With TAS Environmental Services

If you need help disposing or moving hazardous waste from your commercial property, the team at TAS Environmental Services is ready to be of service.


We are dedicated to promoting safe hazardous waste practices and have the experience and licenses to help you keep your brand’s hands clean during the transportation process.

Reach out to us today to get your transportation and preparation questions answered. We’re ready to be your partner through all of your cleanup and transportation needs.