We make hazardous waste safe
At Ragn-Sells we have 75 people involved on a daily basis in the work of processing hazardous waste in a way that is safe and environmentally friendly.
“Hazardous waste is quite simply waste that contains substances that can be harmful to people, animals or the environment in the short or long term,” says Per Hallerud, director of hazardous waste processing at Ragn-Sells.
The consequences of incorrect processing can be serious, and it is important that waste is sorted out from traditional waste streams.
“The hazardous substances have to be removed in order to stop them getting out into the air, water and soil. Our employees have plenty of experience and they know the best way in which to process the various types of waste. Amalgam fillings are not processed in the same way as concrete structures,” he says.
Hazardous waste can also be recycled
“Just as important as experience, is the ability to keep up to date,” says Hallerud. “New kinds of hazardous waste crop up every year, and research in the field is moving forward.
“A good example from before is windows. In the 60s and 70s, manufacturers used PCB to make the insulated glass panels, right up until it was banned when PCB was found to be harmful. Manufacturers went over to using chloroparaffin for the next 10-20 years, until we found out that it was actually almost as bad,” says Hallerud.
Today, the major technological breakthrough has been in recycling and re-using – including of hazardous waste.
“Any material that can be recycled, is recycled. Among other things, work is being done on solutions for coolants and brake fluid, which can be cleaned and re-used. A large proportion of hazardous waste goes for incineration, when it is the properties of the incineration furnace that determine how it is used. Potential uses include generating district heating, energy and alternative fuel. In this way we are removing hazardous waste from the cycle,” he explains.
Ragn-Sells can offer tailor-made hazardous waste management solutions for all of its customers.
Tailor-made waste solutions
Ragn-Sells takes in hazardous waste from companies in various sectors, including building and construction, auto repair workshops, and the offshore and the chemical industries. Every company has its own needs and requirements.
“We come up with tailor-made waste solutions to meet the needs of each individual customer, and we can provide advice in response to questions concerning storage, packaging types and declaration. We look after everything from collection, transport, sorting, processing and documentation,” says Hallerud, before coming up with a little boast to Norwegian industrial companies:
“A full 95 per cent of the hazardous waste in Norway is sent to authorised reception centres, so there is no doubt that this is something that we take seriously.”
Did you know..?
Even small lithium batteries contain so much energy that they can easily cause serious explosions and fires? This is why you should never dispose of them with other types of waste. All kinds of batteries must be sorted at source.
Nail varnish, hairspray and many other types of beauty products are classed as hazardous waste? Products of this kind should never be disposed of with mixed waste (municipal solid waste).