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You have likely heard the term, “Special waste” before and may have wondered what it meant. Special waste consists of things that cannot be placed in just any ordinary landfill or garbage without consideration due to its hazardous elements. These items can often be found in the household, garage and workplace. Waste doesn’t always consist of wrappers, paper, plastic, cardboard and food which are common waste items that come from your household. Other items are what is considered special waste in Connecticut and there are specific requirements when it comes to disposing of them properly.

Industrial Special Waste

There are a variety of jobs that gather waste that cannot be thrown into a garbage bin for pickup. An example of an industry that produces of a lot of special waste would be anything within the medical field; due to the waste from surgeries, emergencies, and even a standard checkup at the doctors.

Construction jobs also produce materials that would be considered special waste, such as cement kiln dust, and even mining and oil and gas drilling muds and materials that cannot be thrown into a typical waste bin.

Household Special Waste

As mentioned, special waste can also come from your home. Whether you are doing a renovation project, enhancing your electronics or even doing simple cleaning, you could be dealing with special waste.  Some examples of special waste that you can find in the majority of homes at any given time including; drain cleaners, oil paint, motor oil, antifreeze, fuel, poisons, pesticides, smoke detectors, cleaning chemicals, and electronics such as TVs and cell phones.

Human Special Waste

Most people have a proper sewage system and haven’t had to dispose of human special waste themselves. However, in smaller cities, vacation cottages and trailers or even outhouses at attractions such as the zoo and amusement park, the human waste has to be removed specifically since it doesn’t drain the sewage automatically. Sewer and sludge cannot be put into any ordinary garbage bin, and require special waste removal.
 
It is vital to have a special waste plan put into place within your city to ensure the safety of the citizens, as well as the environment surrounding us which plays a vital part in the health of all living things. A safe procedure to have in place is, “When you don’t know – Don’t just throw.” It can be extremely dangerous and harmful to dispose of special waste without taking the specific requirements into place. Whether you have industrial, household or human special waste – Consider doing some research on the requirements and procedures of your city when it comes to disposing of it properly.

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