Dealing with contaminated waste

Contaminated in transit

For some, receiving a contaminated load, perhaps tainted accidently through transit, is a business nightmare.

Not only can you suffer the loss of lost stock but there’s also the tricky business of disposing of the now hazardous items. Let alone thinking about whether this waste can be recycled or re-used in such away as to prevent environmental or human damage.

Case study

Goods can become contaminated in transit and this recent case from the International Law Office is a good example. A terminal operator in Hamburg was instructed to unload and store a shipment of pipes from a recent cargo vessel. When the team got to the final layer of pipes for unloading, they found they were covered in sludge – Lead ore, to be precise, a noxious substance.

As a consequence of the lifting and unloading of the pipes on to the port’s pier, the rest of the shipment and the pier also became contaminated. In this case the shipment had to be specially treated and the pier industrially cleaned to decontaminate the site.

Cawleys Hazardous Services team

The Cawleys Hazardous Services team, which is fully qualified and licenced to carry and handle hazardous waste, offers a range of solutions, including specialist treatments and industrial cleaning, which can de-contaminate goods tainted in transit.

Whether goods have been spoiled by water leakage, by dirt seeping through broken packaging or even through an insect infestation, the Cawleys team will first conduct a thorough stock audit to separate soiled goods. Each waste stream is then decontaminated appropriately before waste resources are then reused, recycled or disposed of.

If you find yourself with a contaminated load or waste materials, seek expert advice from the Cawleys Hazardous Services team at 0845 260 2000.