When this happens, inspectors ask a series of questions to decide if the materials are still useable or if they have become dangerous wastes. Spills and leaks indicate containers have been neglected, attacked by the weather or are corroding. Product labels, Material Safety Data Sheets, and sales brochures list what materials are as well as their age, hazards and if they can be reused or recycled. Materials should be kept indoors in sealed, labeled containers. This shows that the owner values them.
Materials can deteriorate with age and exposure to the elements.
They should not be past the product shelf life or contaminated with rust or water, which makes reclamation difficult and expensive. A business shows a pattern of use or recycling by having the equipment or contracts in place, or by keeping records showing that reuse occurs. Generators must show that 75 percent of an accumulated material has been legitimately recycled over the course of a calendar year. If this is not possible, the material becomes a solid waste and possibly an illegally stored dangerous waste. All dangerous waste must be properly managed under the conditions of the Dangerous Waste Regulations.