hazardous waste

American  

[haz-er-duhs weyst] / ˈhæz ər dəs ˈweɪst /

noun

1. any industrial by-product or discarded commercial product that is potentially harmful to the environment or people and other living organisms because it is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, and/or toxic.

   You can’t throw these flammable old cans of paint thinner in with your regular trash—they need to be treated as hazardous waste.

   We are in compliance with all state regulations that pertain to the containment and disposal of hazardous wastes.

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hazardous waste Scientific  

/ hăz′ər-dəs /

1. A used or discarded material that can damage the environment and be harmful to health. Hazardous wastes include heavy metals and toxic chemicals used in industrial products and processes as well as infectious medical wastes and radioactive materials such as spent nuclear fuel rods.

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Etymology

Origin of hazardous waste

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Manufacturing batteries is “extremely energy intensive,” involves more dangerous chemicals and results in more hazardous waste.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Union Pacific Railroad removed more than 33 tons of debris and hazardous waste, totaling 11 truckloads, according to the release.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

Superfund sites are locations polluted by hazardous waste that the Environmental Protection Agency has flagged for cleanup due to threats to human health or the environment.

From Science Daily • Dec. 30, 2025

“Excluding hazardous waste from the law,” she continued, “does not make hazardous waste dangers magically disappear.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

After Mrs. Tesla evacuated the lab and called the hazardous waste removal squad, she praised Tyson and me for being natural chemists.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan