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What NOT to trash

Green Quick Fixes
Andrea Fox
Published: September 24, 2008

Americans generate more than 1.6 million tons of household hazardous waste each year. Disposed of improperly, many of these contaminants end up in landfills and compromise water sources.

Hazardous wastes, waste mixtures, derivatives, and media contaminated with certain listed hazardous wastes are not only produced in manufacturing and industrial processes, but are also released by everyday activities like residential construction, lawn care, car maintenance — even high school lab classes.

Sometimes ignitable and corrosive, toxic wastes may also be reactive or explosive. They are likely more present in your home than you realize.

For example, gasoline, paints and solvents are toxic and ignite easily. Acids, ammonias, and chlorine bleaches release toxic fumes. Aerosol containing propellants, certain adhesives containing formaldehyde, and propane are unstable enough to explode. Some industrial — and industrial-strength — cleaning agents, oven degreasers and drain chemicals are corrosive enough to destroy the manufacturers' metal containers they are stored in.

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the United States defines hazardous waste as any discarded solid or liquid that contains one or more of a long list of carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic compounds at levels that exceed limits established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Thus far, EPA has listed about 500 hazardous wastes in four categories — called the F, K, P, and U lists (go to www.epa .gov/epaoswer/osw/hazwaste.htm for more information), 31 of which are targeted for reduction.

Contained in a multitude of consumer products, listed hazardous wastes require special handling for detoxification and safe disposal under RCRA. The following Green Quick Fixes will help you dispose of them properly — not in your curbside trash pick-up or down any drain!

What should never be trashed:

Items containing mercury. It's in button batteries, thermometers, thermostats, fluorescent lamps, and energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. To find out what else contains this silver bullet, go to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Mercury in the Home Web page at www.mass.gov/dep/toxics/stypes/products.htm.

Pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, germicides, herbicides and other garden products. Designed to poison, they contain toxics like diazinon, methoxychlor and more. If ingested, and when inhaled or absorbed through the skin, they are toxic not just to pests, but to humans and animals.

Items containing formaldehyde. Adhesives, insulation, shampoos and some cosmetics have it — check labels.

Electronic appliances. Circuitry boards and cathode ray tubes contain toxics. Televisions, cell phones, pagers, computer monitors, laptops and more should be set aside.

Oil-based paints and paint thinners. They contain petrochemicals and alkyd solvents. Also, very old paint cans that you suspect date from the Age of Aquarius contain mercury and lead waste.

Motor oil contains high amounts of lead and hydrocarbons (which are volatile) and should be contained. In addition to being a common groundwater pollutant, it kills plants and poisons wildlife. Gasoline, antifreeze, brake, transmission, starter fluids and car batteries are also hazardous.

Conventional pool chemicals.

Unused drain cleaners. They contain lyes, chlorines, acids, and more and contribute to toxic leachate (landfill runoff). Try a plunger, plumber's snake, or clear a drain by blasting-out clogs with a hose attached to a nearby spigot and carefully placed directly into the drain opening. Prevent clogged drains by using hair catchers and other drain baskets.

Unused conventional household cleaners have complex chlorides, sodium hypochlorites and hydroxides, and phosphoric and sulfuric acids. Keep them out of the dumpster and take them in with the other hazardous wastes.

Pet flea repellents and shampoos.

Partial or full aerosol cans. Only empty aerosol contains void of hazardous chemicals can be trashed (if not recyclable). Read labels carefully, and err on the side of caution by bringing most aerosols to collection.

Driveway sealer.

Typical alkaline batteries contain no added mercury. However, batteries in general contain zinc, manganese, lithium, nickel, cadmium and mercury — all hazardous waste. Try rechargeable batteries to avoid or prolong battery disposal; however, nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries are definitely hazardous waste. Also, lithium batteries used in cameras and computer are highly reactive with water and should be separated from curbside trash.

While the best course of action is to avoid or minimize purchase of toxic products, store any hazardous and/or unwanted chemicals in strong plastic containers that children and pets cannot tamper with. Then, take household hazardous wastes to collection for proper cleanup and disposal.

To find out about local hazardous-waste collection sites and events, contact or go to the Web site of your local public health department.

Or, Earth 911.org allows you to type in an item and your zip code and generates a list of nearby household hazardous waste and recycling drop-off centers.

For more information about household hazardous wastes and drop-off centers, go to these Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Web sites:

www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/househol.htm and www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/hazardous/hhwhome.htm.

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Andrea Fox, a Beverly resident, has been writing about environmental sustainability and eco-topics for eight years. She is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and a watershed protection advocate in Salem Sound Watershed.

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