What are the two main types of hazardous waste?

The correct answer identifies the two main categories of hazardous waste as listed wastes and characteristic wastes. Listed wastes are materials specifically identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that are considered hazardous due to their composition or properties. These wastes appear on special lists provided by the EPA, which categorize them based on specific criteria, such as the type of industry that produces them or their hazardous characteristics.

Characteristic wastes, on the other hand, refer to materials that exhibit specific hazardous traits, such as ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. These characteristics determine whether a waste is considered hazardous, independent of whether it is on a list of specific hazardous materials.

Understanding these two categories is crucial for proper hazardous waste management practices, ensuring that hazardous materials are handled, stored, and disposed of in accordance with regulations to safeguard human health and the environment.

Aside from the correct response, alternatives do not accurately represent the primary classifications of hazardous waste. Non-hazardous waste is not a category of hazardous waste, and industrial wastes can include both hazardous and non-hazardous materials, making it an insufficient choice. Universal wastes refer to a subset of hazardous wastes that are widely produced and regulated differently than listed or characteristic wastes.