Federal vs. State-Specific Regulations

Ever wonder what the difference is between Federal and State regulations regarding universal waste?

According to the EPA website:

Adopting the Federal Program

The universal waste regulations can vary from state to state in the United States. The majority of states have adopted the full federal universal waste program, however, others have only adopted some of the federal universal wastes. A state does not have to include all of the federal universal wastes when they adopt the universal waste regulations. If a state doesn’t adopt a certain universal waste and the waste meets the definition of a hazardous waste, then it must be managed as a hazardous waste in that state. Learn more about state adoption and universal waste.

State-Specific Universal Wastes

Additionally, states may add additional universal wastes to the state’s universal waste program. Below is a table that lists some common materials that certain states regulate as universal waste. A more detailed list of state-specific universal wastes and more information about state additions are available on our U.S. State Universal Waste Programs Web page.