What is the Universal Waste Law and How does it effect me?

​The very first draft of the 2006 Universal Waste Law is traced back to May 11, 1995, when the EPA made standard regulations concerning the management of 3 types of universal waste:

1. Thermostats- used to contain mercury to regulate temperature changes but modern thermostats  today are electronic and automatically programmed
2. Batteries- the batteries considered universal waste are those which contain heavy metals with high reactivity which makes them poisonous such as lead, lithium, and cadmium.
3. Pesticides- contain toxic chemicals which if not disposed of properly may be harmful to humans and animals.

In July 1999, hazardous lamps (which includes fluorescent tubes) was added to the list of universal waste. Products with mercury were classified as universal waste starting from August 2005. At Ava Recycling we manage various forms of universal waste be they domestic, industrial or commercial. We also do e-cycling for electronic products, data recovery, and destruction, recycling of fluorescent tubes and batteries among others.

​E-waste Management

E-waste is the short form of electronic waste, and it includes any kind of electronics and electrical appliances and devices which have exceeded their useful life, are broken or not working anymore. The term has also come to describe all forms of electrical and electronic devices which are due for resale, salvage, recycling and other non-harmful substitute uses. At AVA Recycling, we detail the methods used to collect e-waste to recycle them from secure small bins to large bins. It is critical that waste that can react or cause corrosion to be not mixed following the EPA guidelines.

Fluorescent Recycling

Recently, fluorescent tubes have become the most common housing electrical lighting equipment over incandescent or halogen bulbs. Fluorescent tubes contain trace amounts of mercury. There is only one way of collecting and recycling fluorescent tubes, that is using the HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter which Ava Recycling does on location by clients dropping off their waste on AVA processing locations or collect them where they want us to pick.

​Battery Recycling

Not all batteries are considered universal waste. Batteries under universal waste standards are nickel-cadmium, silver ion, lithium, lead, and mercury-containing batteries. At Ava Recycling we have generous offers for the collection and transport of these universal waste batteries. For large amounts of rechargeable lithium and lead ion batteries, we pay the client some salvage amount. We have bins specially designed to dispose of various batteries on site, and they come in different sizes from small to large. Also, we have several collection and delivery deals and discounts on some batteries such as rechargeable lead and lithium-ion batteries.

Why You Should Choose Ava Recycling

First off, we have a strict sense of morality and ethical considerations. We believe that the earth's ecosystems are the most vital for all living organisms (including us humans) to keep thriving. Our first mission is to reduce pollution in the best way we can, and that is through recycling of universal waste. 

Secondly, our standards and operations fulfill the EPA requirements as spelled out in the Universal Waste Law of 2006. We are compliant-friendly with relevant laws such as Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, HIPAA and FACTA compliance requirements.

Thirdly, our rates and operational procedures are both customer-friendly and efficient. We have everything planned out for you so that you can focus on doing other things. At Ava Recycling we have a code of conduct where we treat waste disposal and recycling as an essential thing in the world right now with climate change become more adverse by the day. Ava Recycling has you covered.


Links to external websites: 


https://www.avarecycling.com/about.html
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/introduction_to_universal_waste.pdf
https://lbre.stanford.edu/pssistanford-recycling/frequently-asked-questions/frequently-asked-questions-e-waste
https://www.epa.gov/hw/universal-waste
https://www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/universalwaste/
https://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/research-lab/hazardous-waste/electronics.html