Radioactive Waste Disposal for Schools
Eckert & Ziegler Environmental Services (EZE) are one of the waste carriers listed in CLEAPSS guide L093, offering cost effective and hassle-free radioactive waste disposal for schools.
You’re not alone if you’re at a bit of a loss to know what to do with that radioactive material that the last science technician left knocking around in the science lab. We know, because we implemented a schools amnesty programme for the Environment Agency (& SEPA in Scotland), visiting hundreds of schools in England, Wales and Scotland, followed by a significant programme in Ireland.
Eckert & Ziegler Environmental Services offer a cost effective waste disposal service:
- We work within squeezed budgets without comprising quality or service, by combining collections with other work.
- We can take anything a school would have in the way of radioactive waste – as well as being a CLEAPPS-listed waste disposal expert, we are licenced carriers for low level and intermediate level radioactive waste.
- We take care of everything from start to finish, including finding other work to combine with yours.
We found the service excellent. The communication was great leading up to the collection day and the technician who arrived on the day was very thorough and professional. Thanks again!
Cambridgeshire College6th June 2022
Waste Disposal For Schools
Waste Disposal FAQs
In essence, anything that a school would have. This includes, but is not limited to, Uranium Thorium compounds, including Thoron/Radon generators, sealed sources and Becquerel plates. Cloud chambers, spinthariscopes, protactinium generators and scintillation plates. Luminous articles (e.g. watches and clocks) and radioactive rocks.
It helps us provide a fast, accurate quote if you can provide as much information as possible upfront, including:
- Your name, telephone number and email address.
- The name of your school/college.
- The full address where the radioactive material is to be collected from.
- Any time constraints that we need to work within (please note – we can usually give you a better price if we can combine your collection with other work; this may mean a short wait before the collection takes place).
- Details of the radioactive substance and estimated amount. If this is a chemical, a photo of the label and the fill level of the material in the bottle will help us give an accurate price.
- Details of the container storing the material.
- Any photographs of the radioactive waste are always useful.
Yes, please send any details you have, together with any photographs and we will endeavour to help. From our extensive archive and years of experience it is unlikely that we will not be able to identify the item from a photograph but where a substance has unknown radioactivity levels, it may be necessary to perform a radioactivity survey to assess the levels of radioactivity before quoting.
Where possible, we recycle our radioactive waste – we have access to all the radioactive source disposal facilities in England that accept radioactive materials from commercial operators as well as our own recycling facilities in Germany and the Czech Republic. It is unlikely that radioactive materials typically found in schools will be suitable for recycling, but disposals are carried out by combining with other similar items to minimise the environmental impact of our operations.
This isn’t as daft a question as it sounds. The Environmental Permitting Regulations allow some items to be disposed of via the “dustbin route” and some soluble chemicals disposed of via the sewer. However, disposal by these routes is generally not acceptable due to the modern constraints of the waste disposal contractors or water companies, which the Permitting Regulations do not consider.
Eckert & Ziegler’s customers value our service, which eliminates these potential conflicts, removing all radioactive materials and disposing of them safely and compliantly whilst minimising the environmental impact.
No, we work purely with radioactive waste. Radioactive and hazardous waste disposal is complex. It requires the highest standards of safety and compliance and diligent management to minimise impact to the environment. We therefore believe that the best company to deal with your radioactive waste is a specialist such as Eckert & Ziegler Environmental Services.
With over 150 years’ accumulated knowledge, Eckert & Ziegler Environmental Services is one of the UK’s most respected radioactive waste management companies. Our strong reputation is built on quality, safety and customer service. Our customers include the UK Ministry of Defence, operators of nuclear licensed sites, government institutions, schools, universities, hospitals and industry within the UK and globally. We are a founder member of Radsafe, the UK’s premier mutual-aid association for the radioactive transport industry.
Fantastic service. Very quick and efficient and Adam was really helpful and friendly. Would definitely recommend to others.
College in Staffordshire14th July 2022Excellent service. Very helpful and easy to talk to.
Coventry School30th June 2022We found your pricing competitive. Being able to link up with other local customers to reduce costs really helped. You responded very quickly and efficiently to a last minute alteration to our inventory. On the day of collection, Adam was punctual, efficient, and professional but friendly.
High School in West Midlands16th June 2022Brilliant service at competitive price
Mr Finnamore25th July 2022We found the service excellent. The communication was great leading up to the collection day and the technician who arrived on the day was very thorough and professional. Thanks again!
Cambridgeshire College6th June 2022My experience from start to finish was very positive. Sue was kind, helpful and prompt at communication and providing a quotation. The technician that visited our school was friendly and informative and made the process very straightforward. We’ve also had plenty of communication following the collection and feel comforted that the job has been handled correctly by a professional organisation – thank you to all.
College in Cambridgeshire30th June 2022Thank you for removing our radioactive sources recently. The radioactive sources were removed quickly and efficiently. Communication with staff Eckert & Ziegler was great and the whole process was very straightforward and stress free.
Leicestershire College23rd May 2022Superb service by everyone involved thankyou, especially Richard Dawson and Keith Orpin who picked up our radioactive waste and Sue Long who did the correspondence and arranging last minute. The quote price was excellent too, thanks Bob Baker.
Leicestershire School13th May 2022Quick and efficient service and very reasonable priced. Thank you.
10th June 2022Very efficient and professional, excellent service.
Faye GrovesThe Hayfield SchoolThanks to Adam, on site at Bishop Fox’s School. Much appreciated.
Anne-Marie PheasantAM EnvironmentalGreat communication throughout the process, and fantastically competent and knowledgeable technician on the day
Sarah, Secondary SchoolNovember 2022
Organisations across the world value our service. Here’s why.
- We are the leading radioactive waste management specialists in the UK. By cutting out the middle man, you benefit directly from our professional expertise, personal service and competitive pricing.
- We have access to all the radioactive source disposal facilities in England that accept radioactive materials from commercial operators as well as our own recycling facilities in Germany and the Czech Republic.
- We provide flexible nationwide collections using our own in-house staff and our own registered collection vehicles.
- We often combine radioactive source collections, where time is not critical, allowing us to offer a better value disposal or recycling service.
- We take on the risk of transporting and disposing of your radioactive material in the most cost effective and environmentally considerate way.
- Our disposal services are provided to organisations across the UK & worldwide, in a broad range of industries including education, healthcare, oil & gas, nuclear, military and R&D.