Radioactive waste is classified using a 3000 series analogous to the 7000 series for hazardous waste.
For example, 7022 (oil-contaminated material) becomes 3022 (radioactive oil-contaminated material) when radioactivity is detected.
Must be sent in clean, intact, leakproof packaging.
Waste between 1 and 10 Bq/g is sent to an approved landfill for LRA-contaminated waste together with waste > 10 Bq/g, as no other solutions exist for the waste. Waste with values < 1 Bq/g is sent for incineration as hazardous waste. Metal scrap is cleaned and recycled; equipment may alternatively be returned to the customer, which must be specified upon delivery.
Must be sent in clean, intact, leakproof packaging. Equipment must be packed in sealed plastic. Pipe ends must be sealed with plugs, sheeting or tape. The packaging must be marked “possible LRA”. If activity >10 Bq/g is confirmed by gamma spectroscopic analysis, the waste must be classified as dangerous goods and the packaging marked with hazard label 7. Waste with measured activity that has not been confirmed by analysis must be marked with hazard label 7 and transported as dangerous goods.
Measurements taken with a measuring instrument are only a screening. A final gamma spectrometric analysis provides an accurate specific activity for the waste; based on this activity, the waste is classified as hazardous (< 1 Bq/g) or hazardous and radioactive (> 1 Bq/g).
The waste guide uses technical terms and codes to describe how different types of waste should be identified, classified, and handled. This makes it easier to find the correct waste fraction and comply with requirements for sorting, packaging, and delivery.