How to Manage Hazardous Waste
So Let’s Manage That Household Hazardous Waste!
First, Here Are Three Places You Should NEVER Dump Your Excess or Unneeded Household Hazardous Waste:
- Don’t ever dump excess chemical down the drain! This could send toxins right into everyone’s water supply.
- Don’t ever dump hazardous chemicals, or materials into storm drains or onto the ground outside. This can also contaminate our water supply. In fact, it is the leading cause of fresh water pollution in America (Bennett, 2010).
- Don’t ever dump hazardous household waste in your trashcan. Nasty toxins can be released into the environment if hazardous materials make it to landfills or are burned in incinerator.
If you are unsure if the product you want to toss is hazardous, search the product’s label for words like “Poison,” “Toxic,” “Danger,” “Flammable,” or “Caution.” If any of these words are on the label, or any words like them, it’s a good bet that the product will have special disposal requirements.
Now for Some Things you CAN do…
Reduce It!
Just like regular household waste, look closely at the products that you intend to buy, and decide if you really need them. We have a tendency to buy for the sake of buying, which results in the acquisition of extra products that could soon find themselves in the wastebasket. If you only buy what you absolutely need, you should end up with fewer products that contain hazardous substances or materials that need to be thrown out. It’s simple mathematics!
Another thing you can do is look for environmentally friendly alternatives. For instance, many new cleaning agents are hitting the market, or have already been released, that do not contain the harsh chemicals their predecessors did or do. Pick these, and while you’re at it buy rechargeable batteries, and long lasting light bulbs. Choosing these kinds of items will not only help the environment and cut the health risk to humans, but could also be rewarding for you as well. After all, you’re doing a good deed!
If you’re really ambitious, consider making your own cleaning products at home. One tablespoon of baking soda mixed with ½ cup of white vinegar can work as an all-purpose cleaner, while one part lemon juice mixed with one part olive oil, can act as furniture polish (Town of Gilbert, 2011). You may have to work a little bit harder this way, but everyone and everything will be better off for your effort.
Reuse What You Can, And Recycle What You Can’t
Again, this is similar to what you should do with your nonhazardous household waste. The catch…you need to be a little more careful when doing it.
Some items considered household hazardous waste, or HHW, can be given to others as long as they are still in good working condition. One such category of HHW involves electronics. Termed e-waste, this type of waste consists of electronics like cell phones, and computers. While we have a habit of ditching these items in favor of the latest and greatest, regardless of their condition, why not see if anyone around you needs it before shipping it to the landfill, which definitely doesn’t. Even if you can find no one to take it, look for a recycling center, or see if your local area has an e-waste pick-up day. Whatever you do, don’t just toss it in your trashcan where it can add to the mounting piles of hazardous waste that continue to build up every day!
If you end up with extra products, like chemical cleaners, that you don’t need, follow the example above in regards to e-waste…find someone else that might be able to use it. As mentioned earlier, whatever you do, don’t dump it in the sink or on the ground outside. No one wants a side of toxins with their drinking water.
One of the most important things you can do to be environmentally conscious, is to find out where you can take your Household Hazardous Waste for safe drop-off. Some communities have recycling centers, others have particular drop-off days, and others still will have businesses that take certain waste materials.Ideally your community will have a mixture of all three. Find out what your community has available, so you will know where to dash to safely stash your trash!
So we discussed proper disposal, now how about proper use and storage…
Here are a few things to remember when products considered Household Hazardous Waste are used in your home:
We all use the products, so we should all be responsible for handling, and disposing of them properly. Remember, while everyone should manage all of their trash responsibly, HHW is a special form of waste that deserves extra consideration.
Think before you throw!
Just like regular household waste, look closely at the products that you intend to buy, and decide if you really need them. We have a tendency to buy for the sake of buying, which results in the acquisition of extra products that could soon find themselves in the wastebasket. If you only buy what you absolutely need, you should end up with fewer products that contain hazardous substances or materials that need to be thrown out. It’s simple mathematics!
Another thing you can do is look for environmentally friendly alternatives. For instance, many new cleaning agents are hitting the market, or have already been released, that do not contain the harsh chemicals their predecessors did or do. Pick these, and while you’re at it buy rechargeable batteries, and long lasting light bulbs. Choosing these kinds of items will not only help the environment and cut the health risk to humans, but could also be rewarding for you as well. After all, you’re doing a good deed!
If you’re really ambitious, consider making your own cleaning products at home. One tablespoon of baking soda mixed with ½ cup of white vinegar can work as an all-purpose cleaner, while one part lemon juice mixed with one part olive oil, can act as furniture polish (Town of Gilbert, 2011). You may have to work a little bit harder this way, but everyone and everything will be better off for your effort.
Reuse What You Can, And Recycle What You Can’t
Again, this is similar to what you should do with your nonhazardous household waste. The catch…you need to be a little more careful when doing it.
Some items considered household hazardous waste, or HHW, can be given to others as long as they are still in good working condition. One such category of HHW involves electronics. Termed e-waste, this type of waste consists of electronics like cell phones, and computers. While we have a habit of ditching these items in favor of the latest and greatest, regardless of their condition, why not see if anyone around you needs it before shipping it to the landfill, which definitely doesn’t. Even if you can find no one to take it, look for a recycling center, or see if your local area has an e-waste pick-up day. Whatever you do, don’t just toss it in your trashcan where it can add to the mounting piles of hazardous waste that continue to build up every day!
If you end up with extra products, like chemical cleaners, that you don’t need, follow the example above in regards to e-waste…find someone else that might be able to use it. As mentioned earlier, whatever you do, don’t dump it in the sink or on the ground outside. No one wants a side of toxins with their drinking water.
- According to the Environmental Protection Agency, federal laws still allow the disposal of Household Hazardous Waste in your garbage bags. Communities around the world, however, are creating collection programs to handle this sort of waste (2011).
One of the most important things you can do to be environmentally conscious, is to find out where you can take your Household Hazardous Waste for safe drop-off. Some communities have recycling centers, others have particular drop-off days, and others still will have businesses that take certain waste materials.Ideally your community will have a mixture of all three. Find out what your community has available, so you will know where to dash to safely stash your trash!
So we discussed proper disposal, now how about proper use and storage…
Here are a few things to remember when products considered Household Hazardous Waste are used in your home:
- Learn about the product before you buy it. One question to ask is will the product be safe to use indoors, or does it create fumes that could be harmful in ill-ventilated areas?
- Read the label carefully, and follow all directions. Sometimes products required a number of steps be followed for safe use.
- Refrain from mixing hazardous substances unless the label specifically directs the action. An explosion is only one consequence of this type of action. There are others.
- Store products in safe places away from children and pets, and at the temperature the label indicates. Children and pets could be harmed by messing with the product, while an inappropriate temperature could result in a very big boom.
- Don’t store hazardous products near food, they can be contaminated. It was mentioned earlier for drinking water, but the same thing applies here. No one wants a heaping side of toxins with their water or food.
- Finally, if you cannot dispose of the HHW yet, store it safely until you can.
We all use the products, so we should all be responsible for handling, and disposing of them properly. Remember, while everyone should manage all of their trash responsibly, HHW is a special form of waste that deserves extra consideration.
Think before you throw!