Is An Undeployed Airbag a Hazardous Waste?
Generally speaking, the short answer to this question is, “Yes.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deferred the responsibility to each individual state of determining if airbags, whether deployed or undeployed, constitute hazardous waste. For this reason, dealerships need to stay informed of state and/or local regulations that may affect them. In the absence of such policies, all airbags and seat belt pretensioners should be considered hazardous material (HazMat) for purposes of shipping and hazardous waste for purposes of disposal. CCAR-GreenLink®, the National Environmental Compliance Assistance Center for Auto Repair and a service of the Coordinating Committee For Automotive Repair (CCAR), has surveyed environmental regulatory agencies in all fifty states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, to determine their policies in place regarding airbags and related issues. The survey found that a large majority of states regard undeployed airbags as hazardous was
