What is RCRA?

Enacted in 1976, The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) addresses how to safely manage and dispose of the large volumes of industrial and municipal waste generated nationwide. EPA's Office of Solid Waste (OSW) administrates the program. The goals of the program include: protecting the community from the inherit hazards of waste disposal, using recycling and recovery to conserve energy, try to eliminate or reduce waste, and the clean up of any improperly disposed of or spilled waste.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) requires generators of solid wastes containing toxic constituents (such as mercury) to test representative samples of their waste before disposal to decide whether the waste is hazardous. According to RCRA, generators of used fluorescent lamps are responsible for determining whether their lamp wastes are hazardous. If you do not test used fluorescent lamps and prove them non-hazardous, assume they are hazardous and dispose of them accordingly. Using a specific type of fluorescent lamp, i.e. a “low mercury” or “environmentally friendly,” does not satisfy the requirements. Most importantly, these lamps do not eliminate your liability. They still contain mercury and according to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), you can still be subject to superfund demands.

EPA Provided Resources

RCRA Orientation Manual

RCRA Online

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) US code