Hazardous waste turns up in more workplaces (and homes) than people expect, from leftover solvents in a workshop to mercury lamps in an office fit out.
When it’s mishandled, the impacts can be immediate (fire, fumes, injuries) and long term (soil and groundwater contamination, regulatory breaches, clean up costs).
What’s more, any presence of hazardous materials means that something can be classified as hazardous waste, whether its also liquid waste, industrial waste, or electronic waste (e waste).
In this guide, we’ll walk through nine hazardous waste disposal scenarios commonly seen across Australia, why they’re risky, and the safest, most compliant next steps.
The goal is simple: protect people, assets, and the environment while keeping your site audit ready through proper waste management practices.
What counts as “hazardous waste” in Australia?
In Australia, hazardous waste is generally defined as waste that poses a risk to human health or the environment due to properties such as toxicity, flammability, corrosivity, reactivity, or infectious potential.
While management requirements vary by state and territory, we’ve seen that the rules are generally consistent across Australia.
Organisations managing hazardous waste at facilities, councils, project sites, or businesses are best served by engaging a specialist like Evoro early to reduce compliance risk and ensure correct handling.
Nine common hazardous waste disposal scenarios (with safer options)
The list below comes from what we’ve seen working in various hazardous waste disposal scenarios over the years. They express both how we work, what our past work has entailed, and the generous ethos we follow at Evoro.
1) Leftover paints, solvents, and thinners
Paints, solvents, and thinners are hazardous because many are flammable and release harmful vapours.
Improper disposal can contaminate waterways and create serious fire risks in bins, trucks, and transfer stations.
On sites, this often shows up as ignition risks from vapours, fume exposure in enclosed spaces, and contamination of general waste and recycling streams.
Containers should be kept sealed, stored upright in cool and ventilated areas away from ignition sources, and collected through licensed hazardous waste services like Evoro for trade volumes.
It goes without saying that these materials should never be poured into drains or placed in general waste.
Small household quantities are best managed through council household hazardous waste or paint collection programs, while commercial quantities require licensed treatment.
2) Batteries and small electronics (e waste)
Batteries are hazardous due to corrosive electrolytes, heavy metals, and, in the case of lithium batteries, significant fire risk if damaged or short circuited.
We’ve seen that most common issues include bin truck and transfer station fires, acid leaks, and heavy metal contamination in landfill.
So small quantities should be taken to council or retailer take back programs, while businesses should store batteries in suitable, labelled containers and arrange specialist collection (if they are able to: remember, don’t store waste you can’t safely manage).
Batteries must never go into general waste or mixed recycling, and damaged or swollen batteries require immediate safe containment and specialist handling.
Approved recycling streams are essential to manage fire risk and recover valuable metals, so don’t be a hero here and call us at Evoro for assistance.
3) Used oils, greases, and automotive fluids
Used oils, coolants, and automotive fluids are toxic and persistent pollutants that can easily contaminate soil and stormwater systems.
Practical risks include slips, skin exposure, vapours in poorly ventilated areas, and spills during decanting.
These fluids should be stored in sealed, clearly labelled containers with secondary containment, and different fluid types should be kept segregated.
Oils and coolants must never be poured onto the ground or into drains, and mixing unknown liquids often increases disposal cost and risk.
Licensed collection allows used oil to be recycled or re refined, with compliant treatment for other fluids.
4) Agricultural chemical containers and pesticide residues
Containers may remain contaminated if not properly rinsed and managed, leading to runoff into waterways and exposure risks to workers, livestock, and wildlife.
We recommend you use approved stewardship programs for eligible containers, while concentrates, residues, and contaminated soils require licensed hazardous waste services.
Burning, burying, or indefinitely stockpiling contaminated containers should be avoided. Correct pathways include approved container return and recycling programs and licensed treatment or destruction for residues.
5) Fluorescent tubes, CFLs, and mercury containing lamps
Many lamps contain mercury, which is hazardous even in small quantities. If broken, they can release mercury vapour and contaminate storage areas.
Trust us when we say that the myths of mercury poisoning aren’t how they’re portrayed in Disney movies.
Lamps should be stored intact in purpose built boxes or protective packaging and sent through approved collection and processing pathways designed to recover mercury.
They should never be placed in general rubbish or skip bins or deliberately broken to save space. Specialist processing safely manages mercury, glass, and phosphor residues.
6) Asbestos and asbestos contaminated materials
Asbestos is hazardous when fibres become airborne, and Australia enforces strict rules for its handling and disposal.
Risks include inhalation exposure during disturbance, regulatory breaches, and illegal dumping that leads to costly remediation.
If asbestos is suspected, work should stop and an assessment arranged, with licensed removalists engaged where required—particularly for friable asbestos.
Disposal must only occur at approved facilities using compliant packaging and documentation. DIY removal and uncontrolled transport pose serious health and compliance risks.
7) Industrial chemical wastes
Industrial chemical wastes such as solvents, acids, bases, and reactive materials can be corrosive, toxic, flammable, or unstable.
Incompatible mixing is a common cause of fires, releases, and container failures, while poor documentation creates major compliance issues.
These wastes should be segregated by chemistry, with unknowns kept separate, and supported by Safety Data Sheets and waste profiles.
Licensed hazardous waste providers must be used for transport and treatment, which may include neutralisation, stabilisation, or approved high temperature destruction depending on classification.
8) Medical and infectious waste
Clinical and infectious waste carries risks of infection and injury and requires secure containment and specialised treatment.
Common hazards include needlestick injuries, community exposure if waste enters general rubbish, and breaches of health and environmental regulations.
Waste should be segregated correctly at the point of generation, such as sharps placed in approved containers, and managed through authorised clinical waste services.
Disposal pathways typically involve autoclaving and/or compliant incineration, depending on jurisdiction and waste type.
9) Legacy contaminated soils, sludge, and industrial residues
Historic contamination from soils, sludges, and industrial residues can be complex and persistent, posing long term risks to groundwater, ecosystems, and future land use.
Practical challenges include unexpected delays during civil works, costly remediation if contamination migrates off site, and enforcement action if material is moved without approval.
These materials should always be assessed, sampled, and classified before excavation or disposal, with licensed remediation and hazardous waste providers engaged.
Disposal or treatment options may include engineered containment, secure landfill, or approved treatment processes selected based on test results and regulatory requirements.
An awesome hazardous waste checklist to stay safe and compliant
If you manage a site, depot, facility, or council asset, these steps reduce risk quickly—without asking your team to do anything unsafe.
- Identify and segregate: Label containers clearly and keep incompatible wastes separate.
- Store safely: Use suitable containers, keep lids secure, and use secondary containment where required.
- Use authorised channels: Households can use council HHW drop offs; businesses should use licensed hazardous waste contractors.
- Keep documentation: Maintain SDS, waste classifications (where applicable), transport paperwork, and disposal receipts for traceability.
- Reduce at the source: Order realistic quantities, substitute less hazardous products where feasible, and use stewardship programs.
When to call a licensed hazardous waste provider
If any of the following apply, it’s time to bring in specialist support:
- You have commercial volumes of chemicals, oils, solvents, sludge, or contaminated materials.
- The waste is unknown, unlabeled, or legacy stock.
- There’s a risk of fire, fumes, corrosive burns, or exposure.
- You need documentation for audits, procurement, or compliance reporting.
- You’ve had a spill or leak and need immediate containment.
Spill? Evoro’s emergency spill response team is available 24/7 to help contain and remediate incidents—minimising downtime and regulatory risk. Call 1300 785 003 or visit Evoro.
Conclusion: safer disposal starts with the right pathway
Hazardous waste isn’t just a disposal problem—it’s a safety, compliance, and operational continuity issue. By recognising the most common hazardous waste scenarios and using authorised collection and treatment pathways, you reduce risk to people, protect the environment, and keep your site ready for inspection.
Next step: If you’d like help identifying your hazardous waste streams, improving segregation, or arranging compliant collection, contact Evoro to request a quote or book a free waste audit.