Warehouse Environmental Compliance: Protecting Air, Water, And Everything In Between

Environmental rules shape your warehouse long before regulators arrive

Most founders assume environmental compliance is something big factories worry about, not fulfillment centers. Then a warehouse expansion triggers stormwater permits, a spill leads to hazardous waste requirements, or an inspector asks about battery disposal logs. Warehouse environmental compliance affects far more than people expect, because distribution centers handle chemicals, operate heavy equipment, and generate wastes that fall directly under EPA and state regulations.

Even everyday items create environmental obligations. A leaking drum of returned paint. Broken aerosol cans from damages. Used batteries from returns. Forklift fluids. Cleaning agents. If it can spill, evaporate, or leak into a drain, it lives inside environmental compliance rules. EPA regulations in 40 CFR Parts 260 through 273, stormwater standards under the Clean Water Act, and state level waste and air programs all apply to modern warehouses.

Stormwater rules appear the moment you expand

Under the Clean Water Act, many warehouses require stormwater permits if they engage in industrial activities or expand paved areas that alter runoff. Even operations that never touch hazardous materials can fall under these rules. Facilities must develop Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans, implement best management practices, and conduct inspections to ensure contaminants do not enter waterways.

Director of Operations and Projects Maureen Milligan emphasizes the value of frontline insight. "Just because you happen to work in a warehouse does not mean that your idea is not valid." Employees often notice pooling water, leaking containers, or outdoor storage issues before managers do. Stormwater compliance depends on those observations.

Hazardous waste rules follow damaged goods everywhere

Damaged or leaking products often become hazardous waste under EPA rules in 40 CFR Parts 260 through 273. That means warehouses must identify waste streams, label containers, track accumulation times, and use licensed hazardous waste transporters. Generator categories determine how long waste can remain onsite and what contingency plans must exist.

Director of Vendor Operations Kay Hillmann sees the shift from product to waste daily. "We are certified in all hazardous materials. We were looking at a matches company, that is a hazardous material. We ship concrete sealant, that is hazardous, a different classification. Paint, your everyday paint you get from a home center, that is hazardous material. Flammables, like gas power generators, that is hazardous material. Perfumes, alcohol." When those items break, leak, or degrade, they activate environmental rules immediately.

Air quality expectations for equipment and emissions

Warehouses often operate propane or diesel forklifts, backup generators, and HVAC systems that trigger state or local air quality rules. Large fleets may require emissions reporting, fuel tracking, or permits for stationary equipment. Battery charging areas may fall under fire code ventilation requirements that also influence environmental compliance.

CTO and COO Bryan Wright points out the role of visibility. "A bad WMS system will not track inventory 100 percent, as it should. A good WMS tracks inventory through the warehouse at every point that you touch it." When warehouses track equipment locations and maintenance well, environmental and safety planning become simpler because nothing operates in a blind spot.

Spill prevention and response plans

EPA oil and chemical spill rules apply to many warehouses, especially those storing fuels, oils, solvents, or large volumes of liquids. Facilities may require Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure plans that dictate storage, secondary containment, and inspection requirements. Even a single punctured drum can create reporting obligations if it threatens drains or soil.

Director of Operations Holly Woods explains the preparation mindset. "We have very intensive planning as we get close to a peak timeframe. We run forecast models, staffing models, and we audit inventory, equipment. All of these preparations happen ahead of season just to ensure that we can handle anything that comes our way." The same thinking applies to spills. Plans only work when inspections, equipment checks, and training happen long before anything leaks.

Battery handling and universal waste management

Many warehouses generate universal waste streams such as batteries, lamps, and certain electronics. EPA universal waste rules simplify some requirements but still mandate labeling, training, and proper disposal. A swollen lithium battery is not universal waste. It becomes hazardous waste with stricter controls.

Chief Revenue Officer John Pistone highlights the battery challenge. "If you have a lithium ion battery that is greater than 300 watt hours, it is considered fully regulated. That means there is special packaging that it has to have. Everybody who touches it has to be certified." When those batteries arrive damaged, they require isolation, special packaging, and careful disposal.

Environmental compliance in returns and reverse logistics

Returns create unexpected environmental responsibilities. A leaking bottle, broken cleaner, or failed battery is no longer a normal return. It becomes a regulated waste or spill risk. Warehouses must identify, segregate, and store such items correctly, sometimes in designated hazardous waste accumulation areas.

VP of Customer Experience Joel Malmquist connects this to long term growth. "With an up and coming business, I am going to ask you questions. What channels are you trying to get into. How do you see your business growing. How can we help you get there." When brands expand into products with environmental risks, they need warehouses prepared to manage the consequences.

Training ties the entire program together

Environmental compliance requires broad training across spill response, waste classification, stormwater awareness, equipment operation, and emergency procedures. Hazmat employee training under 49 CFR 172.700 through 172.704 interacts with environmental obligations, especially when spills, leaks, or returns involve regulated materials.

Kay describes G10s commitment. "We have been certified by the expert in the country on hazardous materials in all classifications." That foundation helps employees understand how environmental rules tie into safety, hazmat, and operational continuity.

Questions founders should ask

If your brand works with chemicals, batteries, liquids, coatings, fuels, or anything that can spill or leak, environmental compliance should be part of your 3PL evaluation. Ask how waste is classified. Ask how spills are managed. Ask how stormwater issues are identified. Ask what generator category the facility operates under, and whether any equipment requires environmental permits.

Turning environmental compliance into an operational strength

Environmental compliance may look like paperwork, but it reveals how seriously a warehouse treats safety, planning, and long term stability. Clean stormwater records, accurate waste logs, and disciplined spill response plans signal operational maturity. They also reduce downtime, prevent fines, and build trust with regulators and brand partners.

Kay summarizes the mindset. "We follow regulations and guidelines to a T because we want to make sure that we are doing it legally, correctly, and safely." Applied to environmental compliance, that mindset protects people, facilities, and the communities where warehouses operate.

If your product mix or scale increases environmental risk, talk with G10 about how a disciplined compliance program can support safer, cleaner, more resilient growth.