Tons of household hazardous waste pile up each year in the U.S. To be exact, U.S. households generate about 1.6 million tons of hazardous waste per year. That works out to an annual average of about 30 pounds of hazardous waste per household.
Follow along to learn more about what hazardous waste is, how to safely get rid of it and how to reduce your generation of it.
What is household hazardous waste?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines household hazardous waste as leftover, unneeded or unwanted products that are toxic, corrosive, flammable or explosive. Among the items that might be considered hazardous waste are:
- Motor oil
- Oil filters
- Gasoline
- Car batteries
- Antifreeze
- Brake fluid
- Paints
- Solvents
- Household cleaners
- Drain openers
- Pool chemicals
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- Propane and oxygen tanks
- Non-alkaline batteries
- Fluorescent light bulbs
- Nail polish remover
- Glue and adhesives
- Lighter fluid
- TVs
- Computer monitors
- Cellphones
How to safely dispose of household hazardous waste
Fortunately, you can avoid tossing household hazardous waste in your garbage bin, pouring it down the drain, scattering it on the ground or dumping it into storm sewers. Several programs let you safely dispose of hazardous waste that accumulates in your home.
Many communities run recycling centers that collect household hazardous waste or offer at-home pickup services. Similarly, some waste management companies enable people to drop off household hazardous waste, schedule pickups or even send disposable waste by mail.
To find hazardous waste collection or drop-off programs where you live, check out the EPA website. To search for recycling centers in your area, visit the Earth 911 website.
The EPA recommends reading product labels for instructions regarding how to dispose of hazardous waste. In addition, the agency cautions against mixing household hazardous waste with other products. Incompatible products might trigger an explosion, for example, and make contained waste unrecyclable.
How to reduce generation of household waste
The best way to cut back on generation of household hazardous waste is to reduce the use of products that contain hazardous ingredients.
“When shopping for items such as multipurpose household cleaners, toilet cleaners, laundry detergent, dish soap, dishwashing machine pods and gels, bug sprays and insect pest control, consider shopping for environmentally friendly, natural products or search online for simple recipes you can use to create your own,” the EPA says.
Here are some other tips from the EPA:
- Purchase only the amount of products that you need.
- Give unused products to nonprofits or other people.
- Don’t remove products from their original containers.
- Don’t remove product labels.
- Don’t leave hazardous products or waste within reach of children or pets.
Hazardous Waste Reduction Around the House
The information below, courtesy of the EPA, outlines some at-home approaches to avoiding hazardous products.
Drain cleaner
Use a plunger or plumber’s snake.
Glass cleaner
Mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in 1 quart of water. Spray on the mixture. Use newspaper to dry.
Furniture polish
Mix 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in 1 pint of mineral oil or vegetable oil and wipe furniture.
Rug deodorizer
Liberally sprinkle carpets with baking soda. Wait at least 15 minutes and vacuum. Repeat if necessary.
Silver polish
Boil 2 to 3 inches of water in a shallow pan with 1 teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of baking soda and a sheet of aluminum foil. Submerge silver and boil for two to three more minutes. Wipe away tarnish. Repeat if necessary.
Mothballs
Use cedar chips, lavender flowers, rosemary, mints or white peppercorns.
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