Commercial hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities accept hazardous wastes from businesses, industries, hospitals, municipalities and hazardous waste cleanup sites. Steel mills, automotive repair facilities, dry cleaners and print shops are a few examples of businesses that generate hazardous waste. The waste is treated to remove or stabilize the toxic materials and, in some instances, to change the waste into a non-hazardous material before disposal.
Some facilities reclaim metals and recycle industrial solvents from the waste.
All hazardous waste must be treated and solidified prior to land disposal to protect both the public and the environment. Incineration and landfilling are the most common methods used to dispose of hazardous waste. Pennsylvania has stringent regulations governing the disposal of hazardous wastes. Incinerators must remove at least 99.99 percent of organic hazardous material. The resulting chemically stabilized ash is set in a cement-like mass before it is sent to hazardous waste landfills.