Hazardous waste management includes the set of collection, transportation and final treatment procedures that serve to manage the management of waste that is classified internationally or locally as potentially dangerous or very dangerous for human health and the environment. The competent authorities must adopt the pertinent measures to ensure that this management of hazardous waste is carried out without endangering human health and without damaging the environment, promoting waste prevention, reuse, recycling, use and correct treatment and/or final disposal.

The growth of industrial activity has multiplied the generation of waste classified as dangerous to human health and the environment.

Therefore, it has become necessary to regulate and supervise the management of this type of waste, which is treated very differently from household waste or garbage.[1]​ and with that we avoid soil and air pollution. And of the water.

Not all waste is dangerous or presents serious risks to health or the Environment. A waste is toxic or dangerous when it presents certain dangerous characteristics and, therefore, it is necessary to subject it to additional control requirements to prevent it from causing damage to health or the environment, during its production and management.

The characteristics that a waste must have to be considered toxic or dangerous may be one or more of the following:

The Environmental Engineer must plan the management of this waste, favoring substitution at its source, minimizing the effects and, if possible, inerting it. Recycling must also be explored if possible, trying to reduce the degree of danger.

Management includes a description of activities in a process flow diagram and a mass balance analysis.

Then you have to classify and devise minimization alternatives at their origin.

Subsequently, the transportation, packaging and storage procedures must be detailed.

Safety Data Sheets must be prepared and the equipment, routes and contingency plans defined to take them to their final destination.