The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission promotes the proper disposal of business hazardous waste generated within the landfill’s service area.
Business Hazardous Waste
Hazardous wastes generated by businesses requires special handling. It is illegal to place business hazardous waste in your dumpster, pour down drains, or evaporate into the air. Hazardous waste can’t be taken to a landfill or transfer station. Every business must comply with these regulations, no matter how little business hazardous waste is generated.
Products that are considered hazardous typically contain a signal words, such as “Warning”, “Caution”, “Danger”, or “Poison” because they contain chemicals that are:
- Toxic (poisonous)
- Flammable (can burn easily)
- Corrosive (can eat through materials)
- Reactive (can explode or create poisonous vapors).
Contact a certified business hazardous waste hauling company (for a fee):
- Clean Harbors Environmental Services (Des Moines)
- Safety Kleen (Des Moines)
- Tradebe Iowa (Urbandale)
- The Retrofit Companies, Inc. (Owatonna, MN)
Chemical Containers
Empty chemical containers (from pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and other pest control products) may still hold about 1 percent of the original amount of the chemical. This can be harmful to humans, animals and the environment. These types of containers are NOT accepted through city recycling programs.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recommends triple rinsing all pesticide containers, then pouring the rinse solution into the spray tank, and using that mixture according to the label. Plastic and metal containers should be punctured prior to disposal to make the container unusable. Iowa State Extension and Outreach has information on their website about special pesticide container recycling programs.
Fluorescent Bulbs & Ballasts
Due to the hazardous mercury components in most fluorescent bulbs and the large quantity of bulbs generated, Iowa businesses are prohibited from disposing of most types of fluorescent bulbs in the landfill. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources advises businesses on the proper management of fluorescent bulbs.
Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) tests are necessary to determine if your lamps can be landfilled. Contact the Commission Administrator at 319-234-8115 to arrange testing. Recycling your bulbs may be more economical than paying for testing.
Recycle your bulbs through a certified recycler for a fee:
- A-TEC Recycling (Des Moines)
- BulbCycle (Iowa lamp recycling locations; based in San Diego, CA)
- Midwest Lamp Recycling (Madison, WI)
- The Retrofit Companies, Inc. (Owatonna, MN)
- Other lamp recyclers can be found on the Iowa Waste Reduction Center website and at LampRecycle.org.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers step-by-step suggestions to help businesses establish a Bulb Recycling Program.
