Reducing of waste from the source, separation according to properties, temporarily storage, recycling, transportation, disposition, checks after dispose and the like are called waste management.

The major types of waste which should be handled in waste management are; solid wastes, hazardous wastes and packaging wastes.

Solid Wastes:
Non hazardous wastes like paper, carton, nylon, plastics, glass, metal, polyurethane material (finished product) etc. Which should be recycled or disposed of are called solid wastes.

By reusing, recycling, recovery, and disposal the hazardous effects of solid wastes can be neutralized.

Reusing is reusing of products without any processing other than gathering and cleaning until their life time is over.

Recycling is the recycling of wastes except for energy recovery and original purposes by going through a production process to be reprocessed.  

Recovery covers both reusing and recycling. In recovery products are processed to be used in production processes or converted to energy by using the physical, chemical and biochemical properties of materials in these products.

Disposal is the whole process of storing the wastes where they are produced (houses, offices, factories), picking them up, transporting, and compacting to prevent hazardous effects after the recycling process, burning in order to recover energy or continuous storing.

This type of wastes are handled according to the control of solid wastes regulation which has been published at 14 March 1991 dated and 20814 numbered official gazette.

Hazardous Wastes:

Hazardous wastes are industrial or domestic wastes which are classified as dangerous in need of additional precautions to prevent risks on human health and environment when transported and disposed of. The main hazardous wastes are;

Hazardous wastes cannot be used again but they can be neutralized with proper recycling and disposition in relation to the type of the waste

The wastes polyurethane industry generates are; all types of expired or tainted hazardous chemicals (isocyanates etc.), contaminated packaging materials, contaminated cloth and gloves.

Hazardous wastes are handled according to the Control Regulation of Hazardous Material published in the 14 March 2005 dated 25755 numbered official gazette

Packaging Wastes:

Packaging wastes are the result of consuming of products in the industry leaving packaging of products, outer packaging, transportation packaging wastes which have economic value thus has to be reused, recycled or recovered. Packaging wastes are wastes which are produced from;

The hazardous effects of packaging wastes to the environment are eliminated by re usage, recovery and recycling.

The packaging wastes in the polyurethane field are all types of metal or plastic packaging wastes and IBCs which are not contaminated by hazardous chemicals.

Packaging wastes are handled according to the Packaging Wastes Control Regulation which is published in the 25538 numbered 30.07.2008 dated official gazette.

Packaging wastes and solid wastes are not garbage thus they should not be thrown away. They should be given to certain firms which have licences from the Environment and Forest Ministry thus ensuring the recycling or recovery process.