IAR Recyclers Newspress March / April 2016

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Solvent Contaminated Wipe Disposal
Must label as “Excluded Solvent-Contaminated Wipes”
The management standard stream-
lined the handling of spent wipes.
To implement the exemption criteria, an automotive
shop using either launderable shop rags or disposa-
ble towels must assure that the spent wipes are
stored in properly labeled, leak-proof containers until
disposal to the laundry facility or the landfill via trash
collection, respectively.
The container can be any closed container labeled
“Excluded Solvent-Contaminated Wipes” and does
NOT have to be sealed, only closed, during accumu-
lation.
Upon disposal the container or bag must be sealed
for transport (any free liquid solvent found in the con-
tainer at time of disposal must be managed as haz-
ardous waste).
The good news is that a garbage bag can be tied-off
and considered a sealed container and placed in the
regular municipal trash for collection, as long the
state or local authority does not ban such waste. A
label printed from a desktop printer and affixed to the
container or bag will suffice.
The bad news is that the spent wipes must be segre-
gated from other wastes until such time as sent for
laundering or disposal. The frequency at which the
laundry and/or trash is picked up must also be well-
documented to prove that the spent wipes have
been disposed
within 180 days of
generation.
The updated rule
and subsequent ex-
clusion has been a
long time coming
with inquiry and
studies dating back
to 1994. The rule is
based on a thorough
course of investiga-
tion that found spent
solvent-
contaminated wipes
do not pose a risk of
pollution when handled in this manner. A particular
solvent, trichloroethylene, not generally used in auto-
motive work is not included in the exemption.
For more information on this rulemaking, go to:
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Page 11 Recyclers News Press