Often only a small amount of a hazardous material can cause serious problems. It only takes one gallon of oil to ruin one million gallons of water. Don't throw it in the garbage. Ultimately the trash is taken to a county landfill. Most landfills are not designed for hazardous household wastes.
Hazardous waste can leak into water supplies or cause air pollution, or both.
Hazardous household waste may cause a fire, an explosion or give off dangerous fumes. Sanitation workers have been seriously burned, lost their eyesight or suffered lung damage while compacting hazardous materials. Equipment also has been damaged. Improper use may cause toxic health effects such as headache, injury or death. Improper storage may allow chemicals to leak into the environment, causing dangerous chemical reactions, poisoning or pollution.