Waste services
Explosive and reactive waste disposal
Handled case by case, assessed before acceptance, never improvised.
Explosive and reactive waste carries the D003 characteristic and often DOT Division 1 classification. Each stream is assessed before acceptance because the safe treatment route depends on the specific hazard, and mis-assessment is not a paperwork problem.
Source: 40 CFR 261.23, and 49 CFR 173.54Materials in this category
- Off specification propellants, pyrotechnics and igniters
- Peroxide forming ethers past shelf life, particularly crystallized
- Dried picric acid and other desiccation sensitive materials
- Unstabilized monomers that have begun to polymerize
- Water reactive metals including sodium, potassium and lithium
- Cyanide and sulfide bearing streams that release toxic gas
Crystallized peroxide formers and dried picric acid are assessed in place. They are not moved, shaken or opened until someone qualified has looked at them.
How assessment works
- Description and photographs reviewed before anyone attends site
- On site assessment of condition, quantity and stability
- Determination of whether stabilization or specialist intervention is needed
- Packaging specified to the material rather than to convenience
- Transport arranged under the applicable DOT classification
- Routing to a facility permitted for reactive and explosive waste
The honest position
Some material in this category is beyond commercial waste handling and belongs with bomb disposal or a specialist contractor. Where that is the case we say so and help arrange it rather than accepting a load we should not.
The failure mode in this category is not a rejected load or a fine. Assessment before acceptance is not caution for its own sake.
Common questions
Can you take crystallized ether?
It is assessed in place first. Depending on condition it may be stabilized and packed, or it may need specialist intervention. What does not happen is someone picking up the bottle to find out.
What about old ammunition or ordnance?
Military ordnance and explosives of concern go to specialist explosive ordnance disposal, not commercial hazardous waste handling. We will point you to the right route.
How do I store a suspected reactive safely?
Leave it undisturbed, restrict access to the area, and call before anyone moves it. Photographs of the container and any labeling from a safe distance help the assessment considerably.
Related services
Not sure how this applies to your site?
Send a profile, an old manifest, or photographs of the drums. A technical professional will tell you where you stand.
This page summarizes federal requirements and is not legal advice. State programs can be more stringent than the federal baseline. Verify against current federal and state regulations before acting. Last reviewed September 2026.