There are more than 1,600 dry cleaning facilities in Ohio. Most of these dry cleaners use solvents in the cleaning process. A hazardous waste is a waste that poses a potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly handled.
Most dry cleaners generate hazardous waste.
Listed hazardous wastes are listed by name or process in the Code of Federal Regulations Chapter 261, and in Ohio's Hazardous Waste Management Rules, Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3745-51. For example, perc used in dry cleaning is a listed hazardous waste with a hazardous waste code of F002 when spent. Perc has the waste code U210 as a pure commercial chemical product if discarded prior to use. Spill residues from the cleanup of perc product spills are also considered to be U210 hazardous waste. This analytical test simulates the acidic conditions found in a landfill and determines how much of certain regulated substances would leach from the waste if placed in a landfill.