Waste Designation Decision Matrix - Characteristic Wastes
This page is the waste designation decision matrix provided by the Small Business and Local Government Assistance program to aid businesses in deciding how certain wastes must be handled.
This matrix is provided as an assistance tool. It cannot be used as a substitute for following applicable city, state, and federal laws.
Many wastes demonstrate characteristics that make them hazardous according to the EPA. Ignitability, Corrosivity, and Reactivity are three of the four general hazardous waste characteristics. They are identified by a "D" and 3-digit code for classification (example: ignitable is D001).
The fourth characteristic is Toxicity. The EPA has identified 40 other characteristically toxic hazardous wastes. Wastes that will leach set concentrations of these toxic wastes are considered hazardous (example: 0.5 mg/l of Benzene is D018). ALWAYS check the D Characteristics when doing a waste designation. NOTE: These waste codes are NOT mutually exclusive of the "listed" wastes.