Almost every home contains some form of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), anything from paint to window cleaner to motor oil may be considered hazardous. Solid, liquid or gas items that are flammable, corrosive, toxic, reactive or just plain bad for the environment or yourfamily’s health should be used, stored and carefully disposed of properly. Hazardous materials can be found all over the home, from the kitchen to the bathroom to the garden or the garage. Improper disposal ofhazardous waste, such as flushing it down the drain, will pollute drinking water. Local wastewater treatment plants do not clean all hazardous waste from water and stormwater is not treated, so liquids poured down storm drains directly pollute local rivers and lakes. Throwing items into the household trash may lead to physical injury to sanitation workers and contamination of soil at landfills. Using natural alternatives to lower or eliminate the HHW in your home can be more cost effective and are safer for your family’s health and environment.For example, name brand paints now have products that contain low levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are harmful fumes that are released from man-made products. Old mercury thermostats and thermometers should be replaced to avoid breakage and spillage. Using natural pest controllers or making household cleaners are easy to make and cost pennies.
Tips for Proper Disposal of HHW:
1.Before you buy a product, read the label carefully. 2.Make sure you know what you are purchasing. 3.Choose products with child-resistant packaging. 4.Buy only the amount you need to reduce or eliminate the disposal problem. 5.Select the least toxic products available by choosing non-toxic alternatives when you can. 6.Use multi-purpose products whenever available. 7.Store all toxic products away from children and pets in safe, tight containers. 8.Follow all label directions. 9.Use only what is needed, for example: Twice as much does not mean twice the results. 10. Never mix different products. Explosive or poisonous chemical reactions may occur. 11.Always store leftovers in the original container with the original label. 12. Never eat, drink or smoke when handling hazardous materials. 13. Call your local Health Department for Disposal Options. 14. Alwayslabel homemade cleaner bottles properly. 15. Always dispose of HHW properly.
FACTS
* Detergents cause more poisonings than any other household product.
* Bleach is toxic, baking soda and water are a safer cleaner to use than diluted bleach. Use borax or soda to whiten. Borax is a good grease cutter.
* Ammonia should be used only when other cleansers won't do the trick. Ammonia cuts heavy grease and grime but can be dangerous. Fumes irritate eyes and lungs and can be harmful to people with respiratory problems. Always provide good ventilation. Never mix ammonia with bleach or commercial cleansers - deadly fumes may form.
Automotive Products
What Makes Automotive Products Hazardous Many automotive products contain chemicals that are potentially hazardous. When old car batteries, used automotive oil, or gasoline end up in a landfill they become a threat to our community. Oil and other hazardous liquids can seep into our groundwater and pollute local water bodies like lakes and rivers.
Motor Oil
Coloradoans throw away more than a million gallons of used motor oil each year. Used motor oil is a valuable, reusable resource. Throwing away oil wastes this resource and harms the environment. Improperly disposing of oil by pouring it on the ground, dumping it down a storm sewer, or throwing it in the trash threatens the quality of our water supplies. Used motor oil contains a variety of contaminants (metals, hydrocarbons, etc.). One quart of oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of water.
Used motor oil can be recycled at any automotive store that offers oil changes (call first) or at events offered by the Pueblo City County Health Department (see Recycling Events link). In case of a poisoning emergency, call the Rocky Mountain Poison Control Center at 1-800-332-3073.
Disposing of Outdated Household Medication
The issue of proper pharmaceutical drug disposal is an emerging concern for the environment.
Household medications include over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications. These are often discarded because they are out of date, unusable, or unwanted. If medications are flushed down a toilet, they may go to one of two places – a septic tank or through a series of sanitary sewers into a wastewater treatment plant. This becomes a problem because sewage treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals and many drugs may not be completely eliminated before treated water enters our waterways. Although the long-term effects to humans are unknown, some drugs have been shown to have negative effects on aquatic life. There is also the concern of the promotion of bacteria and virus resistance to antibiotics due to continual exposure to antibiotics in drinking water. Disposing of medications in your septic system can also be harmful as it can disrupt the natural bacteria that keep the system running smoothly.
An option is to dispose of unwanted medications at a community household hazardous waste (HHW) collection day or call your local health department for proper disposal instructions. Most medications can be disposed of without presenting a substantial threat to the environment with the exception of cancer treating drugs. Cancer treating drugs should be brought to a hospital for proper disposal because they are harmful and poisonous.
