EPA HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE REDUCTION
POLLUTION PREVENTION (P2) EDUCATION TOOLBOX
Tools for Helping Teachers Integrate P2 Concepts in the Classroom
United States Environmental Protection Agency
EPA-905-F-97-011 August 1997
WHAT IS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE?
If you walk around your garage, kitchen, bathroom, or workshop, you'll probably find hazardous materials or
products you and your family use every day. Hazardous materials that can no longer be used become
household hazardous waste (HHW). HHW includes hazardous materials such as household cleaners,
paints, paint thinners, motor oils, gasoline, and pesticides. HHW may pose a threat to human health or the
environment if it is not disposed of properly. HHW poses a threat because it exhibits one or more of the
following characteristics:
Toxic:
Poisonous materials like pesticides and expired medicines can harm various organs when swallowed,
inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Some toxic materials can also cause cancer.
Corrosive:
Materials like battery acid and bleach can dissolve other materials, including metals. Corrosive materials
can cause severe burns to skin, eyes, and other tissues.
Ignitable:
Flammable materials like gasoline and paint thinner catch fire very easily, sometimes with just a little extra
heat or a small spark. Ignited materials can cause severe burns.
Reactive:
Unstable materials can explode or give off poisonous gases when mixed with water or other materials (for
example, mixing bleach and ammonia).
Typically, about 1 percent of all waste generated in the average American household is hazardous. The
average household generates about 30 pounds (about the weight of a medium-sized dog) of HHW per
year, for an annual national total of about 1.6 million tons. The types and percentages of HHW in our daily
garbage are shown below:
Household maintenance items (paint, thinners, glues) 36.6%
Household batteries 18.6%
Personal care products (nail polish and remover, hair spray) 12.1%
Cleaners 11.5%
Automotive-maintenance products (grease, oil) 10.5%
Pesticides, pet supplies, and fertilizers 4.1%
Hobbies/Other (pool chemicals, lighter fluid) 3.4%
Pharmaceuticals 3.2%
WHY IS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE REDUCTION IMPORTANT?
Hazardous materials are found in almost every home. We use products like the ones in the pie chart in our
cars, yards, and even on ourselves. HHW and other hazardous materials that are not handled properly at
home can be dangerous, especially to young children and pets. In addition, when HHW is not disposed of
properly, it can be dangerous for people and the environment. For example, if HHW is combined with your
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household trash, trash haulers or sanitation workers can be injured from explosions, fumes, or fires. If
HHW is dumped on the ground or poured into sewers, storm water can wash it into streams, lakes, and
rivers. Many cities, including Chicago, get their drinking water from these sources. In other cases, HHW
may seep down through the ground until it reaches aquifers, which are underground sources of water, for
communities that get their drinking water from wells. When the aquifers get polluted, drinking water may no
longer be drinkable, or it may be more difficult to treat water to safe drinking levels. Plants and animals that
live in or near the streams, lakes, and rivers can also be harmed from HHW in the water.
HOW CAN POLLUTION PREVENTION HELP YOU?
Neighborhood collection days allow HHW to be disposed of properly. However, the key is to prevent HHW
generation in the first place. The best way to do this is to use non-hazardous products, but there are other
ways to reduce HHW.
The following four P2 concepts can help you evaluate your household practices and identify ways to reduce
the impact of HHW from your home:
Changing What You Use
Read labels on the products you use and ask yourself, "Do I really need to use this product?" Safer
alternatives may exist. For example, you could use water-based (latex) paint instead of oil-based
paint, compost instead of chemical fertilizers, cedar chips instead of mothballs, or boric acid
instead of commercial ant and roach killers.
Changing What You Do
Think about what you do in your home that generates HHW and ask yourself, "Is there a safer way I
can be doing this?" For example, you could use sandpaper or a heat gun instead of chemical paint
strippers or a plunger instead of a chemical drain cleaner.
If you must use hazardous products, read and follow the specific instructions on labels. Most
products provide instructions for use and proper disposal.
Buy hazardous products only in the quantity you need and use the product up entirely; consider
how you will dispose of unused portions of a hazardous product before you purchase it.
Make sure you don't use too much of a product. More is not necessarily better. In fact, using more
material than necessary costs you money and may be more hazardous for you or the environment.
If they are still in useable condition, reuse hazardous products and recycle what can no longer be
used. You can also share hazardous products you cannot use with a responsible friend or neighbor
that needs the products.
Improving Your Housekeeping
Store hazardous products according to the instructions on labels.
Unless the containers are leaking, always keep hazardous products in their original containers.
The containers are designed specifically for the products.
Immediately clean up any spills or leaks according to the instructions on labels.
Make sure the containers always have readable labels. If a label comes off or can no longer be
read, make a new label with a permanent marker.
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Educating Yourself and Others
Share your knowledge and ideas regarding HHW reduction with your family and friends.
Read and learn more about other alternatives to using hazardous products.
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LESSON PLAN
The following lesson plan provides guidance and activities that will help you meet the following goals:
Define household hazardous waste (HHW) and name its four characteristics
Explain why HHW reduction is important, particularly how it affects people and the environment
Explain how P2 concepts can be used to reduce HHW
The preceding pages of the fact sheet contain the background information and definitions necessary to
implement this lesson plan, which meets the requirements for the following Chicago Academic
Standards and Frameworks: 6th grade - state goal 13 CAS B.; 7th grade - state goal 11 CAS C. CFS1,
state goal 13 CAS B. CFS1; 8th grade - state goal 11 CASC. CFS 6, state goal 13 CASA. CFS3.
WHAT IS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE?
Begin the lesson by asking students,
"What is hazardous waste?"
Explain that industries produce hazardous products that we use in our everyday lives. In turn,
households that use these products may dispose of them as HHW.
Ask the students to name some of the hazardous products that we use in our everyday lives
(examples include gasoline; oil; paints and thinners; bathroom, kitchen, and drain cleaners; and
pesticides).
Based on the information provided, explain the four HHW characteristics.
Provide an opportunity for interactive discussion in which you ask students to define and give
examples of wastes that exhibit each characteristic or property.
When explaining the "toxic" characteristic, explain that products and wastes may be more
hazardous to other living things than to people and that the dose of a toxic waste (that is, how much
you take in), as well as how you are exposed to it (for example, swallowed, breathed, or absorbed
through the skin), determines the danger. Give medicine as an example: the recommended dose
is good for you, but too much can be harmful.
Review the list of types of HHW in our daily garbage.
Explain that although a single household may generate much less waste than a factory, there are
millions of households across the U.S., and almost all of them generate HHW.
Activity No. 1 - Household Hazardous Waste Quiz
Objectives: Students should understand the four types of hazardous characteristics: toxic corrosive
ignitable, and reactive and know the types of products to which they apply.
Time Length: About 15 minutes
Materials Needed: One copy of attached "Household Hazardous Waste Quiz" for each student.
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Activity:
Distribute and allow students 5 to 10 minutes to complete the "Household Hazardous Waste Quiz."
Clarify that the items listed may exhibit more than one hazardous characteristic.
Discuss the students' answers, making sure they understand the four characteristics of HHW.
WHY IS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE REDUCTION IMPORTANT?
Based on the information provided, discuss why HHW reduction is important.
Emphasize that improperly managing HHW can affect people and the environment, just like
improperly managing industrial hazardous waste.
Use the example of an oil tanker spill contaminating the ocean. Just as with a tanker spill, dumping
used oil into a sewer can pollute local water sources. In fact, a 1-quart can of oil can create a 2-
acre oil slick, which is about the size of two football fields.
HOW CAN POLLUTION PREVENTION HELP YOU?
Based on the information provided, discuss how the four P2 concepts described earlier can be used to
evaluate household practices and identify ways to reduce HHW in your home.
Keep this discussion interactiveask students for other ideas, including ways they can reduce their
own use of products that can become HHW (for example, buying rechargeable batteries for games
and radios).
Emphasize that not using hazardous products or "changing what you use," although not always the
easiest way to do something (it may require more time and "elbow grease"), is the best way to
reduce household hazardous waste. However, if you must use a hazardous product, other P2 con-
cepts can also help you reduce HHW.
Review the following non- or less-toxic alternatives to using hazardous products, and ask students for other
ideas about alternatives.
Ask students to write these alternatives in their journals.
Kitchen and Bathroom Cleaner
- Mix vinegar with salt and water for a good surface cleaner
Drain Cleaner
- Use vinegar and baking soda followed by boiling water.
Tub/Tile Cleaner
- For bathroom tiles, mix baking soda with non-chlorine bleach to form a paste. Apply with a brush, let dry,
and wipe with a clean cloth.
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Air Fresheners
- For room odors, set out a few drops of vanilla or peppermint extract in a dish; use aromatic herbs,
incense, or potpourri.
- For carpet odors, sprinkle with baking soda and vacuum.
Roach Deterrent
- Sprinkle cracks and dark places with technical grade boric acid or borax. Keep out of reach of children
or pets.
Ant Deterrent
- Wash countertops, cabinets, and floor with equal parts of vinegar and water to deter ants.
Activity No. 2 - Know Your Labels
Objectives: Students should be able to find information on labels regarding the characteristics and proper
use of household hazardous products and understand that properly using products is an important element
ofP2.
Time Length: About 15 minutes
Materials Needed: A variety of labeled containers (preferably empty) of hazardous household products
from your home. An unlabeled, clear-glass jar containing maple syrup or molasses.
Activity:
Display containers and have students read the container labels that identify "WARNINGS" and
"DIRECTIONS" to the rest of the class.
From these labels, have students determine which of the four hazardous characteristics apply to
these products and how to use them.
Show students the unlabeled, clear-glass jar containing maple syrup or molasses and ask students
to identify possible contents (looks like maple syrup, but could it be motor oil?). This shows the
importance of keeping hazardous materials in their original containers.
Activity No. 3 - A Less Toxic Alternative
Objective: Students should be able to understand the benefits of using a less toxic alternative product.
Time Length: About 10 minutes
Materials Needed: Lemon juice, water, one quart spray container, commercial window cleaning product
(with ammonia, alcohol, solvent, or other toxic constituent), newspaper.
Activity:
Select a student to mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1 quart of water in the container.
Have two other students apply the commercial window product and less toxic alternative to different
windows in the classroom. Wipe windows clean using the newspaper and about the same level of
effort.
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In an interactive discussion, have other students evaluate the effectiveness of the two cleaning
products (Is the alternative just as effective? If not, what can be done to improve its effectiveness?
)
Have students identify the pros and cons of using each cleaning product (for example, the less toxic
alternative takes time to mix and may require more effort, but is safer for you and the environment;
the less toxic alternative is also less expensive).
Note that using newspaper to clean windows is just as effective as using paper towels, but is less
wasteful because it reuses a product that is already recycled.
METHOD OF EVALUATION/ASSIGNMENT
Have students write the following questions in their journals:
What hazardous products are used in your home?
Are your hazardous products in their original containers, with labels?
Do you read and follow directions on labels?
Are your hazardous products stored in a safe place?
Are you using any safer alternatives to hazardous products?
If not, what safer alternatives could you be using?
How is HHW disposed of at your home?
Using these questions, students should conduct a "home audit" with their families and write the results in
their journals.
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ATTACHMENT 1
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE QUIZ
The following is a list of common household products/materials. If disposed of, they may be considered
household hazardous wastes. Identify the hazardous characteristic(s) for each of the materials listed below.
Write "I" for ignitable, "C" for corrosive, "T" for toxic, "R" for reactive, or "N" for none of the above. [Note:
more than one answer may be correct.]
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Bleach
Gasoline
Oil-Based Paint
Aspirin
Nail Polish Remover
Drain Cleaner
Ant & Roach Killer
Baking Soda
Oven Cleaner
Batteries
Lighter Fluid
Latex Paint
Weed Killer
Antifreeze
Paint Thinner
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ATTACHMENT 2
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE QUIZ
(Answer Key)
The following is a list of common household products/materials. If disposed of, they may be considered
household hazardous wastes. Identify the hazardous characteristic(s) for each of the materials listed below.
Write "I" for ignitable, "C" for corrosive, "T" for toxic, "R" for reactive, or "N" for none of the above. [Note:
more than one answer may be correct.]
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Bleach
Gasoline
Oil-Based Paint
Aspirin
Nail Polish Remover
Drain Cleaner
Ant & Roach Killer
Baking Soda
Oven Cleaner
Batteries
Lighter Fluid
Latex Paint
Weed Killer
Antifreeze
Paint Thinner
C, T, R
I,T
I,T
N*
I,T
C, R, T
T
N
C, T, R
C, T, R
I,T
T
T
T
I,T
T is dose is too high
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