CLEAPSS Radioactive Waste Disposal for Schools
Eckert & Ziegler Environmental Services (EZE) are a CLEAPSS-recommended waste disposal contractor, 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 CLEAPSS-recommended 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.
CLEAPSS Waste Disposal For Schools
CLEAPPS 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.
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.