Many types of electronic products that are widely used in workplaces and homes contain hazardous substances like lead and mercury. When these products reach the end of their useful lives or become obsolete, some contain enough of these hazardous substances to be considered hazardous waste. In general, hazardous waste may not be discarded in the regular trash. Instead, it must be sent to a facility that has a permit for treatment (including recycling), storage, or disposal.
Electronic hazardous wastes (E-waste) are different from industrially generated hazardous wastes in that almost every individual, institution and business generates them. Proper management and recycling of E-waste poses lower risks than managing many industrial hazardous wastes.
Wastes are hazardous waste when they exhibit one or more of the following characteristics: toxicity, ignitability, corrosivity or reactivity. Many electronic wastes exhibit the toxicity characteristic due to the presence of lead.
Almost all of our customers are consider E-waste Generators by the DTSC (Department of Toxic Substance Control). Any company that generates in excess of 220lbs of E-waste in any calendar month is considered an E-waste Generator and is required to comply with DTSC regulations in the handling and transporting of that E-waste. There are many entities that classify as E-waste, the most common include CRT Monitors, batteries, and many PCB assemblies containing lead. It is the responsibility of the E-waste Generator to transfer all subjected material through DTSC certified E-waste Transporters to a certified E-waste Handler. Zak Enterprises is registered with the the DTSC to transport E-waste and is also a registered Large Quantity Handler of E-waste.
