How to Properly Dispose of Hazardous Products

Common hazardous household products include everything from cleaners and pesticides to medications and paint. The U.S. EPA defines hazardous waste as “a waste with properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment.” These materials contain at least one of four qualities: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity.

For many hazardous products, such as common household cleaners, you can find a more natural alternative. For example, did you know rosemary can be used as a non-hazardous alternative to mothballs?

Share and Share Alike

If you do find yourself with leftover household hazardous waste (HHW), some communities arrange HHW exchanges where these types of products can be swapped or simply given away. Exchanging HHW or giving your leftovers to others is a good way to make the most of the product and your money. For example, paint is often collected and reused in municipal cleanup projects, such as removing graffiti from public areas.

Proper Disposal

Many states have either HHW collection days or permanent sites where HHW is collected on a regular basis. Check with your local or state solid waste officials to find out more about HHW regulations in your area and use Earth911.com to find a drop-off near you.

Some consider disposing of HHW in the trash or pouring excess down the drain, on the ground or into storm sewers to be an acceptable practice. But while you may not see any immediate consequences, these methods of disposal can actually be very harmful.

According to the U.S. EPA, “Certain types of HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers; contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets and present hazards to children and pets if left around the house.”

The EPA reports that in 2007, about 1.8 million tons of hazardous wastes were managed by recycling (including metals, solvents, or other material recovery). This amount is less than 5 percent of all hazardous waste managed in 2007. During this time frame,

• 1,116,000 tons of hazardous metals were recovered
• 328,000 tons of solvents were recovered

Hazardous waste recycling activities include combustion for energy recovery, use constituting disposal, reclamation and direct use and reuse.

Waste Minimization

While safe recycling practices are always encouraged, your ultimate goal should be to minimize waste before it is generated. For example, the EPA encourages generators of hazardous waste to not only reduce total waste quantities, but also reduce the amount of chemicals in wastes, particularly those chemicals that pose the greatest environmental concern.