Hazardous Waste

Image from thebeautybrains.com.

I got really annoyed this morning seeing a discarded bottle of antifreeze in a parking ramp. I'm not going to bust out the crying Indian line - even though I have more American Indian in my blood than Iron Eyes Cody (for the record, a Sicilian) - but antifreeze is super nasty stuff. It used to smell sweeter, and kids would drink it and die. It is toxic, making it hazardous waste.

Many household items are hazardous waste, and it is an important part of being a "green" consumer to understand what is hazardous and what is non-hazardous. The EPA started setting down rules in 1974 in the RCRA legislation (depending on what level of government you work in, you might pronounce that "rick-ra" or "wreck-ra") - the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act - defining what is hazardous waste requiring special handling and disposal. It's sort of surprising how many common items are hazardous:

- batteries
- automotive fluids, including oil and antifreeze
- bleach
- paint
- dran-o

There is a rhyme or reason to this: anything flammable, corrosive, or toxic/carcinogenic is hazardous. Governments split it up into "listed" or "characteristic" hazardous waste, but "listed" wastes are mostly things that industries will have to worry about - solvents, etc.

Apart from being a Grammy-winning hit song by Britney Spears, a "toxic" label is one clue that a product is hazardous. If it can poison you, you don't want your garbage person dealing with it. Take it to your local county household hazardous waste disposal site.

If a product is corrosive or flammable (like paint or oil), it is also considered hazardous. Again. Don't throw it in the trash. Take it to your local county household hazardous waste disposal site.

Find out more from the EPA about how to avoid harmful substances.

CFL Recycling

"You're tryin' to make me go to THE-trash, I said
NO NO NO"


So, you are using those quirky, squiggly CFL bulbs to save energy, eh? Good! Like batteries, don't throw them away! It's illegal in California, Maine, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio and Indiana because the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury - safe for you even if the bulb breaks, but when tiny amounts of mercury end up collecting in the landfill, nobody is happy.

The good news is, Ikea takes them back. For more information, check out your state here.

Batteries!

A heads up for all ye who, like me, have been throwing their batteries in the trash can all these years:

DON'T DO IT!



According to recyclenow.com, the average household uses about 21 batteries a year - all of which should be recycled. From the California Integrated Waste Management Board, "All batteries are considered hazardous waste in California when they are discarded. This includes all batteries of sizes AAA, AA, C, D, button cell, 9 Volt, and all other batteries, both rechargeable and single use. Batteries are considered hazardous because of the metals and/or other toxic or corrosive materials contain within. Batteries are potentially a valuable source of recyclable metal."

So collect 'em from your friends and take 'em over to the recycling center. Visit "Where Can I Recycle My...?" and put in your California zip code to find out where this is.