Hazardous Waste
This Big Yuk is a complicated one. As identified by the EPA, it is composed of multiple categories that break down the type and level of toxicity each form of hazardous waste poses. In the comfort of our homes, many on the hazardous waste items categorized by the EPA are absent. Don’t breath a sigh of relief just yet-many of the products produced with hazardous items can be found in our homes as can discrete amounts of these hazardous items themselves!
In general, hazardous wastes are items that are flammable, combustible, corrosive, and reactive. When found in residential homes these wastes are referred to as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). Look around your home-what do you think are the hazardous items in your home?
If you guessed cleaners, batteries, paints, garden pesticides, and gasoline and other automotive items-gold star for you! Unfortunately that is only the beginning of HHW that is common in many homes, there are other, dominant HHW items that are often unrecognized by consumers today, but we will get those later.
Why do we collect hazardous items in our homes? It is not as if we intend to live with flammable carcinogens is it? No. In reality, many of us purchase hazardous cleaners with good intent-to keep our homes free of bacteria, viruses, and other dangerous microscopic beings. Before you nod emphatically in agreement, consider this, what is the result of long term exposure to the chemicals we use? For example, Bleach is a wonder cleaner-but it is highly corrosive, reactive, and overall toxic; use of this exceptionally common household item requires ventilation-gas mask anyone?
It is not possible to eliminate all of the HHW causing items we use, but being aware of them can help us to use and discard of them in a safer manner. Along the way, we may even find alternatives that work just as well if not better!
What about the sly HHW items we don’t associate with poison you say? Well, take a look around you…what are items you simply cannot do without?
Who said cell phone? How about television or laptop? MP3 Player? All of these electronic items (and many more) have become a hazardous category of their own: e-waste.
In general, hazardous wastes are items that are flammable, combustible, corrosive, and reactive. When found in residential homes these wastes are referred to as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). Look around your home-what do you think are the hazardous items in your home?
If you guessed cleaners, batteries, paints, garden pesticides, and gasoline and other automotive items-gold star for you! Unfortunately that is only the beginning of HHW that is common in many homes, there are other, dominant HHW items that are often unrecognized by consumers today, but we will get those later.
Why do we collect hazardous items in our homes? It is not as if we intend to live with flammable carcinogens is it? No. In reality, many of us purchase hazardous cleaners with good intent-to keep our homes free of bacteria, viruses, and other dangerous microscopic beings. Before you nod emphatically in agreement, consider this, what is the result of long term exposure to the chemicals we use? For example, Bleach is a wonder cleaner-but it is highly corrosive, reactive, and overall toxic; use of this exceptionally common household item requires ventilation-gas mask anyone?
It is not possible to eliminate all of the HHW causing items we use, but being aware of them can help us to use and discard of them in a safer manner. Along the way, we may even find alternatives that work just as well if not better!
What about the sly HHW items we don’t associate with poison you say? Well, take a look around you…what are items you simply cannot do without?
Who said cell phone? How about television or laptop? MP3 Player? All of these electronic items (and many more) have become a hazardous category of their own: e-waste.