Certified Hazardous Materials Manager Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive Test Prep

A waste is considered characteristic if it exhibits specific properties that are hazardous. One of the primary characteristics listed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is ignitability. Waste that is deemed ignitable can easily catch fire and sustain combustion, posing significant risks to health and the environment. This characteristic is crucial for determining the management and disposal of hazardous waste, as it requires stringent controls to prevent fires and other hazards during handling and transport.

The other options represent different categories or types of waste that do not necessarily fit into the characteristic waste definition. Universal waste, for example, includes categories of widely generated hazardous waste like batteries or certain types of lamps that are managed under a separate set of regulations designed to facilitate recycling and safe disposal. Industrial byproducts may be hazardous but are not automatically classified as such unless they exhibit particular characteristics like ignitability, toxicity, or reactivity. Lastly, waste that is chemically stable is not hazardous; stable waste does not possess the characteristics that would classify it as dangerous or requiring special handling. Therefore, the significant distinction of ignitability as a characteristic waste feature confirms why it is considered the correct answer in this context.