How Your Business Can Responsibly Dispose of E-Liquid Waste

The alluring multimillion dollar business of e-cigarettes and vaping fluid is capturing the interest of e-liquid manufacturers and retailers across the nation, however there’s a large facet to this business that isn’t common knowledge to most people. The long list of compliance regulations related to generating hazardous waste in the e-liquid business is not discussed as often as the economic success this industry provides.

As the e-liquid industry grows, so must the awareness of e-liquid business owners’ roles as hazardous waste generators. The EPA is cracking down on state and local businesses in the retail e-liquid industry where hazardous waste might not be managed appropriately.

Find out what this means for your business:

With the e-liquid industry falling under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), regulations concerning generation, treatment, transport and disposal of hazardous waste are applicable to any business selling or manufacturing E-liquid goods.

This means your business must conduct a thorough investigation of all the waste generated within your facility. From there, you should look into whether or not this waste is defined as hazardous, as well as the level of toxicity, or the level to which the substance could harm animals or humans.

For example, as of 2015, the EPA considers nicotine as “acute hazardous waste,”  which means it can be fatal to humans in low doses. Nicotine is a P075 listed RCRA hazardous waste, therefore, all vape products containing nicotine must abide by state regulations and be properly disposed of.

How do hazardous waste disposal rules work?

It’s important to note that rules concerning hazardous waste disposal sometimes vary by state, however, these regulations are usually determined by the amount of waste your business produces. Businesses or manufacturers generating less than 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste per month are considered a very small quantity generator (VSQG) and those producing greater than 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste per month are known as a large quantity generator (LQG).

If you are unsure about how much waste your company produces, contact Clean Management Environmental Group, Inc. to help you determine how much toxic waste you produce and which category of waste generator your business falls under.

When is hazardous waste generated?

Thinking about how much toxic waste your business produces can be difficult – especially if you are not certain exactly what is considered hazardous waste.

When your business decides a hazardous chemical or substance can no longer be used, it is then considered hazardous waste. The EPA considers substances such as commercial chemical products like nicotine gums, patches, and sprays; off-specification commercial chemical products; container residues; and spill residues as hazardous waste once they are discarded.

Specific regulations may vary from retailers, so it’s important to stay educated on hazardous waste laws. That said, both types of businesses are required to obtain a site-specific EPA generator identification number to ensure hazardous waste is stored and disposed of correctly.

If you have questions concerning the generation of E-liquid waste or vape products, contact one of the highly trained and certified staff at Clean Management Environmental Group, Inc. We offer nationwide services that can cater to your business’s needs. To talk to a professional give us a call at 800-538-8131, fill out our inquiry form for a same-day quote or take a look at our services.


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