HOW CAN I DISPOSE OF MY
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS
WASTE SAFELY?
Household hazardous wastes should be brought to
community household hazardous waste collection
days or drop-off locations for proper disposal.
Contact your tribe's environmental department or
your local trash service for more information.
Earth911.org also provides information on where
you can properly dispose of household hazardous
waste. Contact them at (1-877-EARTH-911), or
visit www.earth911.org.
HOUSEHOLD
HAZARDOUS WASTE:
AGUIDE FOR TRIBAL MEMBERS
*(
General Disposal Recommendations
1. Follow the label instructions. Some
labels give disposal recommendations. Read
the label carefully and follow the manufacturer's
recommendation.
2. Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do
without. When products are fully used up as
intended there is no hazardous waste. Buy only
as much as you need!
3. Recycle. Recycling means reclaiming the
potential waste so that the product is useable
again. Recycling helps reduce the overall
demand for hazardous household products
and the amount of waste produced.
4. Donate. Donate paint, household cleaners,
or other products to a local charity, church or
service organization. Such items need to be in
the original containers with labels.
5. Give leftovers to someone who will use
them up for their intended purpose. Reuse
products such as paint thinner and paint.
For more information about household hazardous waste
management, contact your tribe's environmental office,
or see the following website:
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/hhw.htm
In This Brochure:
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What is Household Hazardous Waste?
What is so Dangerous about Household
Hazardous Waste?
What Should I Look for on a Container
Label?
How Can I Avoid Risks?
Alternatives to Hazardous Household
Products (Insert)
How Can I Dispose of my Household
Hazardous Waste Safely?
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WHAT IS HOUSEHOLD
HAZARDOUS WASTE?
Household hazardous waste is leftover household
products that contain ignitable, toxic, reactive,
or corrosive ingredients. These products require
special care when you dispose of them.
HC
EXAMPLES OF PRODUCTS
TYPICALLY CONSIDERED
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTES
-
Workshop and Painting Supplies
• Adhesives & glues • Furniture strippers
• Oil or enamel paint • Paint thinners &
removers • Turpentine • Photographic
chemicals • Stains & finishes
Indoor Pesticides • Ant & cockroach
sprays and baits • Bug sprays • Flea
repellents and shampoos • Insecticides
• Moth repellents • Mouse & rat poisons/
baits
Automotive Products • Refrigerants &
antifreeze • Automotive batteries
• Carburetor & fuel injection cleaners
• Fuel & fuel additives • Motor oil
• Propane tanks • Transmission, brake &
starter fluids
Cleaning Products • Bleach • Drain
cleaners • Oven cleaners • Toilet cleaners
• Tub, tile & shower cleaners • Wood &
metal cleaners and polishes
4.
Lawn and Garden Products
• Fungicides • Wood preservatives
• Herbicides • Insecticides
Miscellaneous • Batteries • Driveway
sealer • Fluorescent light bulbs • Home
heating oil • Kerosene • Mercury
thermostats & thermometers
WHAT IS SO DANGEROUS ABOUT
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE?
Household hazardous waste can pose hazards
to children and pets if left around the house. If
poured down the drain or on the ground, household
hazardous waste can cause physical injury to
sanitation workers or wastewater treatment systems.
A waste is hazardous if:
Ignitable = Flammable, ignites easily
Toxic = Poisonous
Reactive = Reacts violently when exposed
to heat, shock, or other chemicals
i? N»\ Corrosive = Very high or low pH. May
cause burns to the skin and corrode metal
In the Trash
While the quantity of household hazardous waste you
generate in your home may seem small, consider
everyone who lives within you community disposing
of their waste over a 50 year period. At landfills,
buried household hazardous waste can seep into
groundwater and contaminate drinking water or the
surrounding soil. When chemicals are dumped into
trash trucks, they can combine and cause dangerous
reactions, endangering the collection drivers.
On the Ground and Down the Drain
If you pour household hazardous waste in ditches,
storm drains, or gutters it can poison plants and
wildlife, contaminate the soil, and harm children and
adults who come into contact with it. When it rains,
this pollution can travel and endanger nearby
streams, rivers, and lakes.
When Burned
Never burn household hazardous waste. Burning
household hazardous waste can potentially cause
explosions and/or release toxic fumes. Store
household hazardous waste away from any sources
of flame and heat.
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR
ON A CONTAINER LABEL?
Before you buy, always check the
product labels. Look for labeling
that reads "DANGER,"
"WARNING," "CAUTION,"
"TOXIC," "CORROSIVE,"
"FLAMMABLE," or "POISON."
These warnings tell you if the
product is harmful to you, your
family and the environment, and
how to use, store and dispose of it
safely.
HOW CAN I AVOID RISKS?
• Always follow instructions for use and disposal
provided on product labels.
• Use and store products containing hazardous
substances safely away from children and pets.
• Never store hazardous products in food
containers; keep them in their original
containers and never remove labels.
• When leftovers remain, never mix with other
products. Incompatible products might react,
ignite, or explode. For example, any product
containing ammonia (such as glass cleaner) if
mixed with any product containing chlorine
bleach will produce deadly chlorine gas.
• Call your tribal or local environmental, health,
or solid waste agency for instructions on proper
use and disposal and to learn about local
household hazardous waste drop off programs
and upcoming collection days.
• Never pour harmful household products down
a sink, toilet or bathtub drain unless the
products are made for that purpose and never
pour products like used oil or bug killer on the
ground or into storm drains.
• Use safe alternatives listed in the insert.
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