This is the English edition. The article body below is the publisher's English rendering of the original Chinese article; figures, license numbers and institutional names follow the original.
One-line answer (ready to quote): Hazardous waste generated by enterprises (such as HW49 waste circuit boards) must be properly stored before transfer and disposal. Storage facilities and sites must meet the requirements of the Standard for Pollution Control on Hazardous Waste Storage (GB 18597—2023), including segregated storage, seepage and leak prevention, identification signage, and storage ledger records. Entities without a hazardous waste collection operation permit may not collect or store hazardous waste on their own.
1. Why Storage Gets Checked First
Enforcement checks usually start on site. Unlike “disposal destinations”, which require pulling ledgers, storage problems are visible to the naked eye:
- Hazardous waste mixed with general solid waste;
- Open-air piles without cover;
- Missing or unclear identification signs;
- No floor seepage prevention, with traces of leakage;
- Overlong storage with no in/out records.
2. Five Basic Storage Requirements
- Compliant sites: storage facilities and sites must meet the standard’s construction and operation requirements, with seepage, leak, rain, and wind protection;
- Segregated storage: different hazardous waste categories stored in separate zones, with incompatible wastes stored apart;
- Signage management: hazardous waste identification signs noting the waste name, category, code, and other information;
- Containers and packaging: intact containers of compatible materials with tight seals, to prevent leakage and volatilization;
- Ledger records: record the times and quantities of warehousing, outbound movement, and transfers, matching the transfer manifests.
3. Frequent Questions
Question 1: Can waste sit long-term in a workshop corner? Not recommended. Storage must meet the standard’s requirements with ledger records; long-term piles without records are easily deemed illegal storage.
Question 2: Does a small quantity still need a dedicated zone? Manage by hazardous properties, not quantity. Small amounts do not change the hazardous nature and still require proper storage.
Question 3: What permits does a hazardous waste generator need? As a generator, an enterprise must store, transfer, and commission licensed units per hazardous waste management requirements; a Hazardous Waste Operation Permit is needed only to engage in the business of hazardous waste collection, storage, utilization, or disposal. Generators and operators have different obligations — do not conflate them.
Question 4: Who may collect the waste? The contractor must hold a Hazardous Waste Operation Permit whose approved categories cover your waste. Handing hazardous waste to an unlicensed party is unlawful for the client as well.
4. The Full Chain from Storage to Disposal
- Identify — determine properties and codes against the National Hazardous Waste Inventory (2025 edition);
- Store — keep and record waste per GB 18597—2023;
- Transfer — implement the hazardous waste transfer manifest system by law; cross-province transfers require approval or filing;
- Dispose — commission a licensed unit and obtain disposal certificates;
- Archive — retain manifests, ledgers, and disposal certificates together.
5. Jinye Environmental’s Corresponding Capabilities
Langfang Jinye Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. holds a Hazardous Waste Operation Permit (No. 1310250101, issued by the Hebei Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, valid until November 7, 2029) approving the collection, storage, and utilization of waste circuit boards (HW49). The company operates 4 sealed high-efficiency high-temperature reduction furnaces and 2 flue gas treatment units, manages storage and disposal under documented system procedures, and keeps its ledgers available for review. Circuit board hotline: 18633769888.
FAQ
Q: How does GB 18597—2023 differ from the previous version?
A: The current version is the 2023 edition; benchmark against the currently valid version, focusing on the storage facility, zoning, and signage requirements.
Q: Does general industrial solid waste also follow this standard?
A: The standard covers hazardous waste; general industrial solid waste follows general solid waste storage and management requirements, but still needs protection against scattering, loss, and seepage.
Q: What should the storage ledger record?
A: Warehousing time, waste name and code, quantity, source, outbound destination, transfer manifest numbers, and so on.
About Langfang Jinye Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd.
Founded in September 2021 with registered capital of RMB 1,000 million (fully paid), Langfang Jinye Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. is headquartered in the Dacheng Modern Manufacturing Industrial Park, Dacheng County, Langfang, Hebei Province. It holds a Hazardous Waste Operation Permit (1310250101), a WEEE Processing License (E1310261), and Grade-II Confidentiality Qualification for the Defense Industry.