When people think of hazardous waste, they tend to think of industrial applications. However, the fact is that nearly all households have at least some hazardous waste stored within them. Properly disposing of this household hazardous waste is vital to the safety of the homeowner and the community as a whole since improper disposal can lead to a variety of potential health and safety risks.
What Qualifies As Household Hazardous Waste?
Before you can tackle the task of properly disposing of the hazardous waste in your home, you must first be able to identify what qualifies as household hazardous waste. In order to accomplish this task simply ask yourself these four questions.
- Is the material corrosive?
- Is the material flammable?
- Is the material reactive?
- Is the material toxic?
If you answer yes to any of these four questions, there is a good chance that the materials in question are considered hazardous waste under the law and will require special disposal methods.
How To Properly Dispose Of Household Hazardous Waste
Now that you know what materials count as hazardous waste, it is important to identify the best means of disposal for the specific items you need to get rid of. Since laws regarding the disposal of this waste can vary from one county to the next, it is best to always check with your local waste management authority before disposing of any hazardous waste. However, there are a few options that you can safely use regardless of where you are located.
Donate
While you may not have a need for some of the hazardous materials in your home, this does not mean that these materials are not still useful to others. For example, you may not have a need for all the half cans of paint you have been storing in your garage for the last few years; however, this paint can be quite useful to someone who is looking to complete a project that requires small amounts of paint. Donating your unused items will keep these potentially hazardous materials out of your local landfill and allow you to help out a fellow community member in the process.
Recycle
Recycling is another great option for certain types of hazardous waste such as e-waste. E-waste is made up of all your old electronics, batteries, and mobile devices. While many retailers offer recycling drop boxes for small items such as old cell phones or batteries, you will need to contact an e-waste recycling company to schedule a pickup or drop-off of your items if you have larger items or a large number of items to recycle. Reach out to a hazardous waste disposal company to learn more.
