How Do You Properly Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste?
Household hazardous waste is categorized into different forms but what uniformly describes this kind of trash is its harmful nature. Yes, household hazardous waste can lead to extremely dangerous outcomes if not properly handled and disposed of.
This type of waste can exist on any corner of a home, including the kitchen, laundry room, storage areas, and the bathroom, among other spaces within the house. Hazardous waste can cause illnesses, and even death to plants, animals, and people.
Hence, this guide takes a deeper look at household hazardous waste and the best trash removal practices to ensure that one gets rid of such dangers. Call Rubbish Inc to learn more about our services: 512-851-0443.
What is Household Hazardous Waste?
Household hazardous waste is household leftover products that are prone to catching fire, explode, or react vigorously under extreme circumstances. Additionally, corrosive, or toxic waste around a home is also considered household hazardous waste.
For a better understanding, here are some of the products considered to be a household hazardous waste:
- Oils
- Batteries
- Cleaners
- Paints
- Pesticides
The products can contain harmful chemicals that can cause serious damages if exposed to extreme circumstances. Therefore, these types of products should be handled carefully when disposing of them to avoid any potential risks or damages.
Identifying Hazardous Waste
While we have given some good examples of waste products that can be hazardous in a home, they are not all of them. So, how can you identify household hazardous waste all by yourself?
Well, the products someone brings into their home will usually have warning symbols pasted on their covers, mostly on the back or sides. These symbols are the ones that tell the real story because they indicate the danger that might occur if someone mishandles the waste products.
That said, here are some of the symbols/warning terms that indicate if a product is hazardous.
1. Poison/Toxic
The first hazardous warning symbol that can be found on household products is the Toxic or Poison warning symbol. It is an indication that the product can cause serious damages to living organisms.
And toxic or poisonous products include the following options:
- Wood stains
- Fertilizers
- Medications
- Pesticides
- Batteries
- Radiator coolants, and
- Preservatives, among many more
2. Corrosive
Corrosive products are usually those that do damage on the surface of either the human or animal skin. These products can corrode someone’s skin and leave them battling with mild to severe infections if not handled properly.
They include:
- Stain removers
- Oven cleaners
- Bleach
- Wax strippers
- Rust removers
- Lead-acid batteries
- Drain cleaners
Handling these types of products requires that one be incredibly careful and it would even be advisable to use protective gloves when using them.
3. Flammable
Flammable products can burn very easily and can ignite with only minimal heat or spark but can cause great damages. Flammable products usually include the following items:
- Gasoline
- Fuel oil
- Contact cement
- Oil-based paints
- Lighter fluids
- Insect repellant
- Furniture cleaners
- Paintbrush cleaners
- Kerosene
- Camping fuel, among many more products
Flammable products will always have a warning symbol on their labels, and that is a warning advising how one should dispose of the waste products properly. Failure to which one can accidentally start a fire. One needs to adhere to the warnings if at all they want to prevent accidentally starting a fire.
4. Explosive or Reactive Waste Products
Reactive or explosive waste products are hazardous because their materials can damage or poison living organisms. This may include gas cylinders that contain butane or propane, or aerosol cans that contain unused products.
As we have seen, there are different types of household hazardous waste products. They are all categorized into their different states and can easily cause damages under certain circumstances. That said, let us see how one can practice better trash removal practices to prevent any damages that may arise from such waste products.
How to Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste?
Many risks may arise if household hazardous waste is not properly disposed of. Properly disposing of this type of waste is incredibly important because it will prevent the spread of harmful chemicals in the air, water, and environment.
This is because hazardous waste can easily contaminate groundwater and soil if it finds a way to the landfills. Therefore, proper trash removal practices can ensure that the waste workers do not get exposed to the risks brought about by the household hazardous waste products.
This will also reduce the chances of any explosions or fires that can start easily if this type of waste is not handled properly. One should not flush or pour household hazardous waste products down the drain because they will find their way into the sewage system. If this is done, the chemicals or materials on the waste products can damage the plumbing system and lead to failure of the septic system.
So, what more can one do to ensure that they properly dispose of household hazardous waste?
- To prevent any accidents in a home, ensure to use and store the products as instructed on their labels. Be careful enough and adhere to all the guidelines for using, storing, and disposing of the final waste products.
- Always strive to read the instructions on the label of the products that finds their way into the home. Even if one is conversant with the instructions for using the product, at least read and follow the warnings and disposal methods advised.
- Keep hazardous products far from your food containers or any other edibles in your home. Ensure that hazardous products are stored separately and never remove the labels printed on each of the products. Mixing them with other products may lead to leaking, igniting, or even corrosion.
- If there are leftovers in a home, be sure not to mix them with household hazardous waste products to avoid any risks of starting a fire, explosion, or the spread of toxins in your home.
- Don’t ignore empty containers that are household hazardous waste products if they cannot harm anyone. The residual products or chemicals inside them can lead to more risks than one can imagine if not properly handled.
Everyone needs to be incredibly careful when handling household hazardous waste because this type of waste is proven to cause significant damages.
One can easily avoid exposing themselves, their loved ones, and the environment to such risks if they properly handle HHW products as advised. As we have explained, one needs to ensure that they always read the instructions and warnings on product labels.
This will give everyone more information on better and right ways to use, store, and dispose of household hazardous waste. It is also wise for one to approach their nearest local health, solid, and environmental waste agency, or institution for more information on this agenda.
