Are Empty Oil Drums Considered Hazardous?

Steel and plastic drums are widely used for the transportation and storage of oils. When oil drums are emptied and no longer needed, you cannot dispose of them through standard practices. Empty oil drums can be classified as hazardous waste if the type of oil being stored could cause potential harm to human and environmental health.

This article explores what qualifies as hazardous waste, how to safely dispose of empty oil drums, the risks of improper disposal, and the consequences of not complying with regulations for disposal.

Hazardous waste refers to any material that poses a threat to human health or the environment due to being corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive. When drums have been used to store hazardous materials, such as oils, it can contaminate the interior and behind a potentially dangerous residue.

In the U.S., hazardous waste is regulated under the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). This act defines how hazardous materials should be stored, transported, and disposed of. The RCRA defines empty drums as ones with no more than 1 inch of residue remaining, or less than 3% of capacity.

If hazardous materials such as fuel or car oils have been previously stored inside of the empty drums, then they must be disposed of in a compliant manner. You may need to arrange for old oil drums to be collected by local licensed used-oil haulers. If your company is capable and registered to dispose of hazardous waste on-site, that is an option, as long as the empty drum disposal is carried out in compliance with regulations.

If your used, empty drums previously held non-hazardous oils like cooking oil, they need to be fully drained to meet the EPA’s definition of an empty container. Once the drum is considered empty, it can be sent to be reconditioned for cleaning and reuse, recycled as scrap metal, or picked up by an industrial waste hauler.

Non-compliance with empty oil drum disposal can lead to severe consequences, including heavy fines, penalties, cleanup costs, and even jail time. Improper disposal can cause fires, explosions, soil contamination, and water pollution, which is a direct threat to public health.

The Cary Company offers a wide range of drums and barrels that are suitable for storing and transporting a variety of oils and other liquids. If you need help, our experts are available to assist you with finding the perfect container for your application. Contact one of our product specialists at 630-629-6600, or email us at sales@thecarycompany.com.