Always read the fine print before you dispose of any items in the house – I learned this lesson the hard way.
When you have a knack for DIY projects like I do, you often work with chemical formulas that can wreak havoc if thrown out along with regular trash. Or perhaps, if you pour it down the drain.
That’s what I did many years ago, right after painting a set of wooden tables and chairs. Considering how the oil-based products have a notoriously strong smell of chemicals, I decided to take my work outdoors. Haphazardly, I let some paint-stripper flow down the drain, which incidentally led to my garden.
A few droopy plants later, I realized that the toxic formula had compromised the quality of the soil. Soon enough, the neighborhood gardeners association came to assess my yard and initially thought the culprit was garden waste, such as pesticides or weed killers.
Once I narrated the incident, they let me off the hook – albeit with a warning that a second offense would mean a hefty fine. Hi! I’m Stacy, and today I’ll be giving you tips on how to dispose of household hazardous waste – the correct way.
What NOT To Do
Household Hazardous Waste ((HHW) management has become a global problem over the years yet remains under the radar. In fact, not many people know that broken iPads, mobile phones, nail polish removers, fluorescent lights, and other waste thrown out with “regular” garbage can prove to be toxic.
That said, here are a few ways in which you may be incorrectly disposing of your toxic household waste:
1. Putting It In The Garbage
With garbage, most people have an “out of sight, out of mind” approach. But once the garbage truck leaves, it doesn’t just disappear. In fact, the trash goes to landfills which are not designed to hold hazardous waste.
Highly toxic chemicals are a cause of environmental pollution and threaten the lives of waste management employees who may be exposed to them. What’s more, combustible substances in the waste may lead to fires in which sanitation workers have been known to lose their eyesight – or worse, their lives.
2. Tipped Down The Drain
First off, pouring strong chemicals down the sink or toilet spells bad news for your pipes and plumbing fixtures. Apart from the risk of corrosion and burning accidents, chemicals entering septic tanks through pipes can quickly catapult into a much larger problem.
That said, paint products – especially oil-based products that contain methylene chloride, can pass through the septic tank without breaking down, thus contaminating groundwater. Even in the case of municipal systems, chemicals that are flushed down your kitchen or toilet may be discharged untreated into streams or lakes.
3. Burning It
Open burning of waste is starkly different from the work done by professionals in controlled incinerators. Anyhow, the health and environmental risks of burning waste need no introduction. Even if you are not dealing with hazardous waste, fumes from open fires are dangerous for the environment and nearby communities.
4. Burying It
Burying toxic waste in your backyard affects the quality of soil, which may make your crops unhealthy for consumption – provided they still manage to sprout. Moreover, curious children or pets running around the yard may inhale or ingest the waste, possibly leading to poisoning.
What To Do
1. Wait For Garbage Collection Days
In some counties and neighborhoods, trash collectors frequently come to each home to collect hazardous waste, which they then take to special waste management facilities. Check with your neighbors or local gas station if such collection programs are available in your locality. In some cases, you may have to drive down to the facility to hand over the waste yourself.
2. Read The Label
More often than not, products containing high concentrations of chemicals will come with a label that includes instructions for proper disposal. That said, you may throw solid waste materials in the trash – but only after it has been treated appropriately.
Although some manufacturers recommend rinsing empty containers multiple times before binning it, check with the local waste management office to know your best options.
3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
The best way to reduce waste is perhaps to buy only as much as you need. For instance, if your work requires a quart of oil-based paint, refrain from buying an entire gallon. However, if you do have a lot leftover, you can always donate the paint by dropping it off at local recycling centers.
Additional Tips
1. Reuse Leftover Paint-Stripper
Leftover paint-stripper can be reused by letting it sit for a few days, and then running it through a funnel to get rid of the solids.
2. Flush Down Water-Neutralized HHW
As long as the HHW at hand can be neutralized by water, you may flush it down the drain and leave it to the municipal sewage system to remove the toxins. However, bear in mind that this tip does not work with septic tanks.
3. Dispose Of Clumped Up Litter
If you have cats at home, take some cat litter and place it in a large jar. Pour a little bit of the chemical waste in the litter, poke a hole on the cap for ventilation, and seal the jar. Once the litter clumps up, put the contents in a paper bag and toss it in the trash.
Final Words
After realizing my mistake in the paint-stripper fiasco and being reprimanded for my ignorance, I began to look up the risks of improper disposal of HHW.
Suffice to say, it was an enlightening exercise that made me feel somewhat guilty about how much hazardous household waste I might have handed over to the trash collector. But, now that I am more aware, I am determined to become more environmentally conscious – starting with sharing my findings with others.
In that same spirit, you may also share these tips with your friends and family. Or perhaps you can donate your extra buckets of paint supplies to those in need and make this world a more colorful place to live in – one drop at a time.