Reagent Recycling for Responsible Waste Management

HACH LANGE has transformed its reagent recycling service to help companies comply with waste management regulations and improve environmental performance.

As a result of recent legislation "Where hazardous waste is produced at or removed from, any premises other than exempt premises, the premises must be notified to the Environment Agency". This means that any business producing hazardous waste has a legal duty to register accordingly. In addition, each collection will be notified to the EA and a written document must be issued with all the relevant paperwork.

As a responsible manufacturer, HACH LANGE has offered a waste recycling service since 1990. However, the procedures involved are now more rigorous and it has become necessary to charge for this service, albeit on a not-for-profit basis.

The HACH LANGE Recycling Centre is located at the company’s European headquarters in Germany, however a fast and efficient collection system has been established to meet the needs of UK customers.

The Recycling Centre facilitates recovery of toxic materials from HACH LANGE reagent tubes including, for example, COD tubes from which Mercury, Silver and Chromium are recovered. Over 70% of returned materials are either re-used or recycled.

On arrival at the Recycling Centre packaging material is removed and the waste is categorised into cyanide-containing, acid-containing, mercury containing and AOX-containing reagents in order to maximise the efficiency of treatment. Naturally, following treatment, any effluent from the plant is monitored by some of the world’s most advanced instrumentation.

Each of the Recycling Packages offered by HACH LANGE includes...

• Pre-notification of the EA, the carrier and the waste producer within the 3 day collection period
• Collection and transportation of used reagents with licensed carrier
• Storage of waste at EA licensed transfer station
• Documentation of waste by producer and summary statement sent to EA
• Re-packing waste into UN approved cartons palletising and storage by licensed staff
• Preparation of transfrontier shipment paperwork in accordance with EA requirements when sufficient quantity collected for transfer to recycling centre.
• Transportation to the HACH LANGE European Recycling Centre
• Paperwork sent to EA
• Unpacking, sorting, recycling, re-use or treatment of waste
• Certificate of recycling issued to customer.

HACH LANGE says that there are four easy steps to implement the reagent recycling service -

• Contact HACH LANGE Recycling on 0161 872 1487 for advice on which collection/recycling package would provide the most cost-effective service.
• Complete recycling request form and place order
• Await pick-up confirmation
• Receive confirmation certificate of successful recycling (if requested)