Universal Waste

Hazardous waste regulations designate a category of hazardous wastes called “universal waste” (u-waste). This category includes many items, including fluorescent lamps, cathode ray tubes, instruments that contain mercury, batteries, and others.

Until recently, some universal wastes could be disposed in the trash under some circumstances, however this is no longer the case–all u-wastes are now banned from the trash.

Under California’s Universal Waste Rule, households and “conditionally exempt small quantity generators” were allowed to dispose fluorescent lamps, batteries (not lead/acid batteries of the type used in autos), mercury thermostats, and electronic devices to the trash through February 8, 2006, unless the local trash companies or other agencies prohibited it. Large and small quantity handlers are required to ship their waste to either another handler, a universal waste transfer station, a recycling facility, or a disposal facility.

On February 9, 2004, regulations took effect in California that classified all discarded fluorescent lamps as hazardous waste. This includes even low mercury lamps marketed as “TCLP passing” or “TTLC passing.” No one in California is allowed to discard their fluorescent lamps and batteries as nonhazardous solid waste (as ordinary trash).