CAUTION! DANGER! POISON!
These words are designed to keep people away, yet many everyday household products are labeled with these warnings and left on shelves or cabinets long after they are needed. Families in a typical home store about 100 pounds of unwanted hazardous chemicals. The unneeded — and often forgotten — items are called “Household Hazardous Waste” (HHW). Take a look around. You’ve probably got HHW you don’t need, such as old paint, stain, lawn chemicals, bug spray, antifreeze, gasoline, and more.
Gathering and safely disposing of HHW will open up storage space and also make your home safer for your family and emergency responders in case of fire or natural disaster. Please don’t pour HHW down the drain, onto the ground, or into the trash. Instead, take advantage of a local HHW program to dispose of it safely.
Here is a list of some of the most common HHW that your family may have sitting on shelves just waiting to be safely cleared away:
- Automotive fluids
- Drain openers
- Fertilizers and plant food
- Herbicides
- Insecticides
- Hobby paints and glues
- Oven cleaners
- Pool chemicals
- Paint, stains, and paint thinners
- Solvents
- Toilet bowl cleaners
Please check with your local solid waste authority for more details about how and where to properly dispose of HHW in your community. And next time, opt for a “Safer Choice.” Use this link to see the Environmental Protection Agency’s suggestions for safer products.
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