Hazardous waste refers to any waste materials that has the capacity to harm human and environmental health. As a result, hazardous waste cannot be typically collected by your weekly trash pick-up service. Instead, you may have to look into recycling or alternative means of waste management and proper disposal. Plenty of common household items, be it household cleaners, electronics, batteries, paints, oils and tires are hazardous materials and classified under household hazardous waste (HHW).
We’ve put together a handy guide covering the most common household hazardous wastes.
There are several complications associated with hazardous waste disposal. At the very outset, such items must never be tossed into the regular trash. They pose a threat to human health, especially for sanitation workers handling solid waste at collection centers or landfills. The other issues are discussed below:
Improper disposal of HHW can lead to the contamination of surface water and ground water. If such items are flushed down the sink, they may cause problems with sewage and water treatment plants. Also, if tossed into a landfill, they can eventually seep into the ground water. Similarly, throwing HHW into lakes or water bodies creates a breeding ground for toxins and pollutants.
Burying HHW in one’s backyard is also not recommended, as such items will corrupt the soil and local ecosystem. Similarly, if trash isn’t safely disposed at the landfill, it poses a huge risk to the staff and other people living near the dumpsite.
Without proper treatment of hazardous waste, such materials cannot be incinerated. Doing so will pollute the atmosphere and create health complications for all. This includes cancer, asthma, genetic mutations, decreased immunity, other respiratory problems and the like.
Thus, hazardous wastes can harm life forms and the ecosystem in a multitude of ways. They are usually classified based on their properties, such as:
Generally, we produce 400 million tons of hazardous waste each year—that’s almost 13 tons per second. Since such pollutants are everywhere, scientists are still studying the effects of long-term exposure to such chemicals. The results are neither pleasant nor promising. Thus, the consequences of improper disposal of hazardous waste can be especially severe.
Thus, disposal of hazardous waste varies from item to item. Also, they usually involve strict guidelines for handling, transport, storage and containment. Sometimes, a hazardous chemical or material may be subject to chemical, thermal, biological or physical treatments (such as solidification) in order to decrease their volume or transform them into a less hazardous substance that can be safely contained or recycled.
If your home contains any of the following HHW, you can educate yourself on the proper methods of handling and disposal:
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Motor oil can be easily recycled. You can pour the substance into a secure container and deliver it to a local gas station for repurposing or contact your local car repair businesses if they need the oil. If you suspect that the motor oil is contaminated, it is best to take it to the nearest toxic waste disposal center in your area.
You can contact your local fire department or nearby automotive shops if they need old gasoline.
If you have extra household chemicals or cleaners, you can consider giving them away to friends or family, or donating it to a local organization. However, if that doesn’t work out, you must take them to a HHW facility or request a special pick-up from a junk removal company.
Electronics such as computers or mobile phones contain valuable resources that can be recycled or reused, as well as harmful substances that can affect all life-forms. Many electronics retailers accept old computers, phones and related equipment, and even offer a discount if you’re replacing or exchanging an old product for a new one.
Batteries should ideally be recycled. Automotive and battery retailers may accept your old car batteries. If not, you can take your used batteries to a hazardous waste collection site or a waste transfer station.
Freon is found in AC units, refrigerators and freezers. To safely dispose of freons or appliances that contain freons (note that it is highly unsafe and illegal to remove the freons yourself from any unit), you could either contact the wholesaler for an exchange or take it to a reclamation facility.
Always wear gloves and a mask while handling antifreeze. If you have old or unused antifreeze you can take it to an auto repair shop or a service station. However, if the anti-freeze is tainted your best option is to contact a waste disposal service and have it delivered to a licensed coolant disposal facility.
Tires can be easily recycled—you can take them to tire retailers or a tire processor if there is one in your locality. You can also upcycle your old tires in many ways—using them to grow plants and flowers, a sandbox for your kids to play in, a swing for your garden, a bed for your pets or even recycled tables and chairs to spruce up your living area.
Thus, proper waste disposal is highly important—not just for your own safety, but for the health and longevity of this planet and future generations. While throwing it into the trash pick-up or drain might be tempting, remember that such illegal actions are punishable in the United States and can lead to a health hazard or unforeseen accidents that may even claim your life. So, when it comes to the disposal of hazardous items, we suggest that you first find ways to upcycle, reuse or recycle them.
If you need them removed from your premises, you can take it to the retailers of wholesalers you bought them from, or to businesses that require such raw materials. You could also attend local recycling events or participate in a donation drive in your community. However, for contaminated substances, it is best to contact a HHW facility, or a waste collection site or even your local municipality for guidelines on safe disposal and hire a certified waste removal company to collect it from your home—although be warned, the latter can get quite costly.
If you need help with general household decluttering, a garage cleanout or a small construction job, you can rely on a reputed waste management service such as Discount Dumpster. We offer free pick-up and delivery with a flexible rental period, and our rates for rental containers are the cheapest in the region.
While we cannot accept hazardous materials in our dumpsters, you can always check with us beforehand if a particular household item is hazardous or not. Moreover, as part of our commitment to responsible waste disposal, our friendly and knowledgeable staff will help you find recycling stations or alternative means of trash removal, should you require our assistance. Don’t delay your decluttering projects and call us for a non-obligation quote today!
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