epa.gov/hw/household-hazardous-waste-hhw
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that each year, American households generate approximately 1.6 million tons of hazardous waste. Hazardous wastes are unwanted or unused products that contain harmful chemicals. They can be liquids, solids, gases, or sludges. They can be poisonous, corrosive, flammable, reactive, or explosive. If not managed properly they can pose a serious threat to human health and the environment..
There are many ways to dispose of hazardous waste safely and responsibly so it doesn’t end up in our landfills or polluting our water supplies:
1) Bring It To A Household Hazardous Waste Facility: Most communities have permanent facilities where residents can take their HHW for proper disposal – often for free! To find a facility near you visit Earth911 and enter “hazardous waste” and your zip code into their search tool. Once on the site click on “recycling solutions” then scroll down to “Household Hazardous Waste” for a list of options in your area..
2) Give It Away!: One person’s trash is another person treasure! There are numerous websites and Facebook groups (i.e Freecycle) dedicated to connecting people who have stuff they want to get rid of with others who could use it..
3) Recycle It: Many items that are considered HHW can actually be recycled such as motor oil, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs – even some pesticides! Check with your local recycling center to see what materials they accept..
Whatever option you choose make sure you follow these basic guidelines when getting rid of HHW:
* Never pour HHW down the drain, on the ground or in storm sewers..
* Never mix different HHWs together as this could create dangerous chemical reactions..
For more information about disposing of specific types of HHW check out this handy guide from the EPA