The point of an EPA ID number is to make sure hazardous and nonhazardous waste is properly transported and disposed of from start to finish, or what’s known as the “cradle-to-grave” process. Those who generate the waste are responsible for what happens to the hazardous material, even after it leaves the facility and is in the hands of a hazardous waste pickup company.
The EPA ID number holds generators responsible for the hazardous and nonhazardous waste they produce, which is why each number is specific to every business or facility that recycles, stores, treats or disposes of over 220 lbs of hazardous waste within one month.