KNOW

what's at stake.

As the generator of a hazardous secondary
material, you ultimately decide whether the
material is safely managed. The decision to
recycle your hazardous materials can be an
important step in reducing your company's
environmental footprint.

When improperly managed, hazardous secondary
materials can be released into the environment,
polluting the land, water, and air, and affecting
public health. Asking your recycler a few questions
can prevent environmental damage and ensure
that your materials do not contribute to a site that
faces a costly environmental clean-up in its future.

If you are uncomfortable with  a recycler's ability
to answer the questions on the previous pages
in a satisfactory manner, you may want to send
your materials to another recycler.
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                                A GUIDE
                                FOR GENERATORS
                                OF  HAZARDOUS
                                SECONDARY MATERIALS
Does your facility generate hazardous waste or
other hazardous secondary materials that could
be sent off-site for recycling? Are you interested
in recycling, but unsure of what to look for in a
recycler?

Recycling secondary materials can save valuable
resources and energy. But sometimes materials
sent for recycling end up being poorly managed
or mismanaged, and become part of the waste
management problem.

You can protect your business and community
by choosing to recycle and by making sure that
your materials are being recycled and managed
responsibly.
                                                                                        x>EPA
                                               United States
                                               Environmental Protection
                                               Agency

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LEARN
the basics.
Can the recycler give you a general description
of its business, including a point of contact,
number of employees, years in business and
ownership history, site information and history,
summary of operations, services offered, etc.?

Can the recycler provide the facility's
compliance record with federal and state
environmental and occupational safety
regulations? Does the facility's record indicate a
commitment to sound environmental
stewardship?
UNDERSTAND

the recycling process.

Does the recycler normally accept the materials
you want recycled?

After receiving your materials, does the recycler
track them through its process?

Can the recycler describe its processes and
procedures for recycling, reuse, or resale?

Does the recycler have environmental, health,
and safety management systems in place to
ensure environmentally sound  management
practices?
ASK about what

happens afterwards.

Is there a reliable market for the saleable
products or intermediates that are made from
recycling your hazardous secondary material?

Are residuals, if any are generated from the
recycling process, managed in a manner that is
protective of human health and the
environment?

Can the recycler provide names and locations of
businesses, landfills, or incinerators to which it
sends products and/or residuals?

Can the recycler supply certification of final
disposition for your materials, if necessary?
WANT MORE INFORMATION?
Visit EPA's general hazardous materials recycling Web site at
http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/recycling
Review a recycler's compliance status with EPA at http://www.epa-echo.gov/echo/
CONSIDER

a few other things.

Are you interested in verifying information
through an onsite evaluation, such as an
environmental compliance audit? Do you want
to check the facility's record in EPA's public
databases (such as http://www.epa-
echo.gov/echo/) or state databases?

Does the recycler maintain appropriate
environmental liability insurance, and are
mechanisms in place to ensure clean-up costs
would be covered if the facility unexpectedly
closes or has to perform an environmental
clean-up?

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