hazardous waste

Hazardous waste is waste that can damage human health or the environment. Waste can be hazardous because it is toxic, reactive, or corrosive, etc. As of 2022, humanity produces 300–500 million metric tons of hazardous waste annually. Some common sources of hazardous wastes are solvents, batteries, and byproducts of metal refining. Hazardous waste is regulated on local, national, and international scales.