WHAT WASTE
In 1982 offickils in
Al*uerque, New Mexico detemined that local residents were generating 1. 6
million pounds of hazardous waste‑and were &anping 90%
of it into sewer systems, garbage, or the ground.
BACKGROUND
Most Americans donÕt know how to dispose of
household hazardous wastes properly. Some of us, for example, innocently dump
toxics down the drain or into the sewer system‑which
might be the worst possible way to get rid of them, since wastewater treatment
plants aren't designed to handle hazardous materials, and the result can be
serious water contamination.
Disposing
of them in landfills doesn't work, either; hazardous wastes dumped into a
landfill can seep into the groundwater, run off into surface water, or pollute
the air.
Since there are so many hazardous products in
use‑and since they can have such a lethal
impact on the environment‑ies important for us to
learn what products we have, how to store diem, and what to do when were done
with them.
DID YOU KNOW
Hazardous wastes often found around homes
include: Paints and paint thinners, car batteries, oven and drain cleaners,
mothballs, floor and furniture polish, brake or transmission fluid, antifreeze,
rug and upholstery cleaners, pesticides, and furniture strippers. Even products
used to clean toilets are considered hazardous.
People seem to have little idea when they're
dealing with hazardous wastes. According to Environmental Hazards Management:
"It has been estimated that in an average city of 100,000 residents, 3.75
tons of toilet bowl cleaner, 13.75 tons of liquid household cleaners, and 3.44
tons of motor oil are discharged into city drains each month."
How do you figure out wh a hazardous waste and
what isn't? Use available reference materials. Recommended: HazardDus Wastes
fim Homes. Cost is $4.25 from Enterprise for Education, 1320A 3rd St., Suite
202, Santa Monica, CA 90401.
SIMPLE THINGS TO DO Store hazardous materials
properly: 0 Keep them in their original containers. Don't take the chance that
someone might mistake and misuse them.
¥ Make sure labels are securely fixed to
containers.
¥ Keep them in a cool, dry place‑‑out of the reach of children.
¥ If the original container leaks, put the whole
thing in a larger container ... and don't forget to mark it.
Try to reduce the amount of hazardous products
you use: 0 Buy exactly what you need. Remember. the more you buy, the more you
have to dispose of If you've got extra (e.g., paint), share it with neighbors,
friends and family. Try to use it up.
Use safer substitutes whenever possible.
Dispose of it properly:
Recycle whenever
possible. Used motor oil, car batteries, paint thinners, and some solvents can
be refined and reused. Local civic groups can help you identify recycling
programs.
Municipal incineration is a way of dealing with
some hazardous wastes. Check with local authorities to see what they accept.
Never use incinerators in your home; they don't work.
Find a licensed contractor or recycling agency.
(Look in the yellow pages.) If there's none in your area: call the local
wastewater treatment plant for info on disposing of liquid waste, the local
sanitation department for info on disposing of solid wastes.
Participate in a local professional collection
program. Many communities do not yet provide this kind of service. If there's
none in your community, contact local civic leaders and officials with
suggestions for a program. Many of the best collection programs in the country
today began with one concerned citizen.
RESOURCES;
Water Pollution Control
Federation, 601 Wythe Street, Alexan~
dria, VA 22314‑1994, (703) 684‑2438.
CaU or unite for dieir House
hold Hazardous Waste
Chart.
Call the EPA hodine‑(800)‑424‑9346‑to find out who to
contact in your state about household hazardous waste pick‑up.