What to do With Household Hazardous Waste

Going green is not just about reducing physical garbage, changing out your light bulbs, or turning off appliances when not using them. Protecting the environment involves much more, and reducing or proper handling of household hazardous waste products is a part of it. It is inevitable that these products are going to be used in your home, but you can help by reducing use and properly disposing of these products. Here, you'll find out just how you can do this.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Products

By definition, household hazardous waste products include any products that contain flammable, corrosive, toxic, and reactive ingredients. This can include anything from cleaners and batteries, to oils, pesticides, and paints. You would be surprised to know that even makeup can contain harmful chemicals that are considered to be household hazardous waste materials. This also includes nail polish and nail polish removers. Other examples of HWW products include antifreeze, oven cleaners, chemicals used to unclog drains, lighter fluids, herbicides, insecticides, and rat poisons. Be sure to read the labels on the products you buy so that you are prepared to handle them properly to protect the environment.

Ways to Reduce Household Hazardous Waste

First and foremost, you can choose products that are less toxic, or even nontoxic. Since the 'green' phenomenon began, many companies that create cleaning products, paints, and more have switched the chemical makeup of their products to be safer for the environment. When purchasing these types of products, look for the 'green' label marker.

Once you have the products, make sure that you are reading the labels and following proper instructions for use, ventilation, and storage. In addition, use as little of the product as possible to get the job done. Most of the time you won't use an entire bottle of product, or even an entire gallon of paint. When this happens, try giving them to someone who can use them. This could be friends, neighbors, family members, or even community groups or charities in your area.

Another factor to consider is the use of aerosols. They are very harmful to the environment, and can cause health issues for humans. In addition, when you spray an aerosol cleaner, much of the product is often dispersed into an unwanted area, essentially wasting the product.

Proper Disposal is Important

There are times when you will use hazardous products, and it's important that you dispose of them properly. There are some cities that have household hazardous waste facilities that allow you to drop off your unwanted and unused chemicals, leaving them to be disposed of in a safe manner. In some instances, these products will be given to those who need them, serving as a way to recycle the products. In other instances, the products will be thrown away, but in a much safer manner.

Now that you know what household hazardous waste materials are, you can better prepare yourself to help the environment reduce, reuse, and recycle these products. When searching for cleaners and paints, choose ones that are less hazardous, or even completely nontoxic. Once you are finished with the chemicals, try to find ways to let others use them, or send them to a HWW recycling facility to be handled appropriately.

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