Although the external definition of what constitutes a waste varies, for GSK reporting purposes a material is considered a waste if it is no longer fit for its originally intended purpose.
Hazardous waste disposed includes disposal to landfill and incineration either on or off GSK property. Incineration with energy recovery includes processes that result in beneficial energy or resource recovery and includes a small amount of composting. Incineration without energy recovery includes processes that do not result in beneficial energy or resource recovery. Hazardous waste disposed does NOT include recycling on-site or off-site or non-routine waste.
For consistent reporting, GSK considers a waste to be hazardous if it exhibits any of a number of properties as defined by the Basel Convention in 1989 of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Included in these properties are flammability, explosivity, water or air reactivity, corrosivity, oxidising potential, acute or chronic toxicity, ecotoxicity or infection. In addition, because of their nature and potential impact on research and development activities, radioactive wastes are defined as hazardous. Bioengineered and biohazardous waste is included in hazardous waste. A waste is considered to be non-hazardous if it does not exhibit any of the hazardous properties noted above.