Waste services
PFAS and AFFF disposal
Firefighting foam and PFAS bearing waste, in a regulatory landscape that is still moving.
PFAS bearing waste including aqueous film forming foam requires destruction at temperatures high enough to break carbon fluorine bonds, or containment at a facility accepting it. Federal regulation is developing and several states have moved ahead of it.
Source: EPA PFAS destruction and disposal guidance; state programmes varyPFAS bearing streams
- Aqueous film forming foam concentrate and rinsate from fire suppression systems
- Foam contaminated equipment, tanks and piping
- Soil and groundwater from firefighting training areas
- Spent granular activated carbon and ion exchange resin from PFAS treatment
- Industrial process waste from fluoropolymer and surfactant manufacturing
- Landfill leachate with PFAS content
Why the carbon fluorine bond matters
The carbon fluorine bond is among the strongest in organic chemistry, which is what makes PFAS persistent and what makes destruction difficult. Ordinary combustion may break down the parent compound without fully mineralizing the fluorinated fragments.
That is why PFAS destruction is discussed in terms of high temperature incineration with specific residence time, and why emerging technologies including supercritical water oxidation are receiving attention. Anyone claiming a settled, universally accepted destruction method is ahead of the science.
How we approach it
- Characterization including the specific PFAS compounds present where required
- Review of the applicable state requirements, which differ considerably
- Routing to facilities accepting PFAS with documented destruction or containment
- Equipment decontamination planning where systems are being replaced
- Documentation supporting the disposal route chosen
- Clear statement of what is established practice and what is still developing
We will tell you where the regulatory position is unsettled rather than implying more certainty than exists. In this category that matters more than a confident sales answer.
Common questions
Is PFAS a RCRA hazardous waste?
Not as a listed waste at the federal level as things stand, though EPA has proposed listing certain PFAS compounds as hazardous constituents. Several states regulate PFAS independently. The position is changing and should be checked rather than assumed.
What do I do with our AFFF stock?
Many operators are transitioning to fluorine free foam. That produces concentrate, rinsate and contaminated equipment all at once, and it is worth planning as a single project rather than three separate disposal events.
Can PFAS be destroyed reliably?
High temperature incineration with sufficient residence time is the established route and EPA has issued interim guidance on it. Research into complete mineralization continues. We will describe what a given facility actually does rather than claiming destruction generically.
Related services
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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.