INTRODUCTION

Some of the products used in the home, garage, workshop, yard and garden can be considered hazardous.  These products can contain components  which have corrosive/caustic, explosive/reactive, flammable, irritant, toxic or radioactive properties.  These products include: paint and decorating supplies; solvents and cleaning products; herbicides and pesticides, lawn care products; and automotive products.  Household hazardous waste (HHW) is that portion of a  household product which is no longer usable, leftover or not wanted and has to be discarded or disposed.

Under state and federal law, hazardous household products can be disposed of in the trash.  However, these products may be an environmental hazard if they are concentrated in a sanitary landfill. In addition, hazardous household products may pose a health and safety hazard to a solid waste hauler or a landfill operator.  Other use and disposal options should be considered.

For more information on available disposal options, contact East-West Gateway or your local solid waste hauler.

PRODUCT GUIDE

Introduction

The purpose of the Product Guide is to present an overview of how to work with hazardous household products and to delineate potentially hazardous  household products.  The next section is a discussion of what steps should and should not be taken when dealing with hazardous household products. It is from the Managing Household Hazardous Waste brochure,  1999, prepared by the Household Hazardous Waste Project of the Missouri Extension.  The last section of this report contains a list of potential household hazardous products with their principal components, hazardous properties of these components, proper disposal methods and less toxic alternatives, when available.

Though much effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained, herein, East-West Gateway assumes no responsibility and disclaims any injury from or damage resulting from the use or effect of any product or information specified in this report.

Tips

The following tips are from the brochure entitled Managing Household Hazardous Waste by the Household Hazardous Waste Project, Missouri Extension,  1999.

What You Should Do with Household Hazardous Products

• Read labels carefully before buying a product. Try to avoid buying products with labels containing the words: caustic, corrosive, danger,  explosive, flammable, poison, toxic, volatile, or warning.
   
• Use safer products whenever possible.  Safer, less toxic alternatives can be found in stores.  Recipes for making your own can be found in books available through most libraries.
   
• Buy household hazardous products only in the amount you need for the job at hand.
   
• Follow label directions on how to use a product, and use the recommended amounts.  More is not necessarily better, and may be hazardous to your health.
  
• Avoid hazardous products if your are pregnant.
   
• Use safety equipment when the label recommends avoiding skin contact, eye contact, or inhalation of vapors.
   
• Avoid wearing soft contact lens when working with solvents and pesticides.  They can absorb vapors from the air and hold the chemical against your eye.
   
• Use products up entirely.  It is not hazardous waste until it is not longer wanted or usable.
   
• Share what you cannot use with a friend, neighbor, local business or organization.
   
• Recycle what can be recycled in your area (waste motor oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze, automotive batteries, button batteries, etc.)   Contact local solid waste officials for locations in your area.
   
• Use this brochure or contact your local solid waste and wastewater management authorities to determine how to dispose of specific products.
   
• Keep products in their original containers with readable labels.
   
• Safely store the remaining unusable products in their original containers until a household hazardous waste collection is held in your area.
   
• Suggest to your elected officials that a household hazardous waste program is needed.
   

What You Should Not Do with Household Hazardous Products

• Do not leave products within reach of children or animals.
   
• Do not allow children to handle or dispose of household hazardous products or waste.
   
• Do not dump down storm sewers or in the backyard.
   
• Do not burn or bury.
   
• Do not put in the trash or pour down the drain before checking the disposal recommendation for that product.
   
• Do not reuse containers for other purposes.
   
• Do not mix unless instructed to do so by the label directions.

Store Products Safely

• Close lids tightly so that products will not dry out, evaporate, or leak.
   
• Store hazardous products in a locked cabinet away from children and animals.
   
• Store in a cool, dry area.
   
• Store away from sources of heat, spark, or flame.
   
• Store in original containers with labels intact.
   
• If the product container is deteriorating, place the entire container in a plastic bucket or glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Surround  it with a non-flammable absorbent, such as kitty litter, vermiculite, or floor dry, to absorb spills.
   
• Separate flammables, corrosives, and poisons and store them on separate shelves.

Household Hazardous Waste Products

This section contains a list of potential household hazardous waste products.  Also in this section is a description of the hazardous  components, hazardous properties of these components, disposal options and less toxic alternatives. 

Though much effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained, herein, East-West Gateway assumes no responsibility and disclaim any injury from or damage resulting from the use or effect of any product or information specified in this report.

Hazardous Components

Hazardous components are those ingredients/chemical mixtures in a household product which may have hazardous properties.  Not all of the components listed may be in a particular product.

Household Hazardous Waste Products Properties

• Flammable - Product can be easily set on fire.
• Toxic - Product is capable of causing injury or death if eaten, inhaled or absorbed through skin.
• Corrosive/Caustic - Product can burn and destroy living tissue through chemical action.
• Irritant - Product can irritate living tissue.
• Explosive/Reactive - Product can cause explosion through exposure to heat, sudden shock, pressure or incompatible chemicals.
• Radioactive - Disintegration of atomic nuclei contained in product gives off radiation.

Household Hazardous Waste Products Disposal Options

• Recycle/Reuse - Product can be turned in and recycled. Or, use up the product or share it with someone who can.
• Flush - Product can be poured down drain with plenty of water.  Either a sink or toilet bowl (as long as there is no bowl cleaner or deodorizer present) can be used.  Check with sewer district to see if action permissible. Do not mix products.  If home is on a septic tank, pour a cup or less of product down drain with plenty of water or into the toilet and flush. Just dispose of one product per day and do not mix products.
• Trash - Product can be put in trash and safely disposed of in a sanitary landfill. Empty containers can be placed in trash.
• Save - Product should be stored safely and saved for a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection event.  Contact  East-West Gateway, your local government (municipality and/or county) or the solid waste hauler for information about upcoming events.
• Disposal recommendations may change over time as new laws and information about the various products are developed.

Less Toxic Alternatives

One way to reduce potential health and environmental risks and disposal problems is to look for less toxic commercial products or to use home-made  alternatives made from less dangerous toxic ingredients.  These alternatives make take a longer period of time to work and may require more effort.  Some ingredients, such as ammonia, may also have risks associated with them.  The home-made alternatives should be used and stored with similar caution as with their commercial counterparts.

Though much effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained, herein, East-West Gateway assumes no responsibility and disclaim any injury from or damage resulting from the use or effect of any product or information specified in this report. 

References

Auto and Engine Products, Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, King County, Washington, 1998.

A Consumer Guide to Safer Alternatives To Hazardous Household Products, Part 2,  (Take Me Shopping Original Edition by Alicia Flynn and Rory Kessler), Hazardous Waste Management Program, Office of Toxics and Solid Waste Management,  Department of Planning and Development, Santa Clara County, California, revised 1992.

A Database of Safer Substitutes for Hazardous Household Products, Philip Dickey,  Washington Toxics Coalition for the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, 1990 used in Safer Substitutes for Commercial Cleaners: a household hazardous waste fact sheet, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 1991.

Hazardous Products Around the Home, The Household Hazardous Waste Project,  University Extension, University of Missouri, 1989 and Solid Waste Management, Michael Vogel, Montana State University, 1993 used in the Hazardous Products in  Home section of the Virtual House/Household Waste (EPA Region 5 and Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University), Purdue Research Foundation, 1996.

Household Cleaners and Polishes, Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, King County, Washington, 1998.

Household Hazardous Waste, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 2000.

Household Hazardous Waste: How Should It Be Managed?, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 2000.

Household Hazardous Products Guide Sheet WM 6003, The Household Hazardous Waste Project, University Extension, University of Missouri, 1999.

Household Hazardous Waste: Steps to Safe Management brochure, Office of Solid  Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1993.

Household Hazardous Waste: What You Should & Shouldn’t Do brochure, Rollins Environmental Services.

Household Product Management Wheel: Wise Guide to the Safe Use, Disposal &  Recycling of Household Chemical Products, Environmental Hazards Management Institute, 1997.

Latex and Oil-Based Paint: a household hazardous waste fact sheet, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 1990.

List of Common Household Hazardous Waste Products, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1999.

Make Your Home a Safe Place poster, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 1987.

Managing Household Hazardous Waste brochure, The Household Hazardous Waste Project, University Extension, University of Missouri, 1999.

Managing Residential Waste Technical Bulletin, Solid Waste Management Program,  Division of Environmental Quality, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, 2000.

Recipes for a Safer Home, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, 1992 used in the  Tools for Waste Management: I’d Rather Do It Myself section of the Virtual House/Household Waste (EPA Region 5 and Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University), Purdue Research Foundation, 1996.

Six Steps for a Successful Paint Program, Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, King County, Washington, 1998.

Source Reduction Alternatives Around the House from The Consumer’s Handbook for  Reducing Solid Waste, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, revised 1996.

Store Hazardous Products Safely Guide Sheet WM 6005, The Household Hazardous  Waste Project, University Extension, University of Missouri, 1993 and 1999.

Virtual House/Household Waste (EPA Region 5 and Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University), Purdue Research Foundation, 1996.

Waste Reduction and Recycling: A Progress Report to the Community, St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District, 1998.