Recycling Hazardous Household Waste

It’s easy to recycle cardboard, paper, and plastic, but what about recycling hazardous household waste? It’s a little tougher. However, you can’t just toss icky stuff in the trash, or down the sink. Hazardous waste is called hazardous for a reason; toss it out and it’ll pollute groundwater, soil, and streams.

Hazards you might have around the house include things like:

• Paint and paint thinner
• Varnish or wood stains
• Motor oil, antifreeze, and other automobile fluids
• Toxic cleaners
• Weed or bug killer
• Some adhesives, caulking, and other household fix-it supplies
• Batteries
• Some arts and craft materials

Some items like paints or art supplies can be donated rather than tossed. Get the full scoop on paint recycling here. Other items are more tricky. Follow these steps:

1. Use up what you can. What you can’t use, should be donated when possible, and if you can’t give it away (think old batteries) move on to step two.
2. Call your local community disposal or recycling company and ask. Most of the time, these folks will know where to send you and your toxic recyclables.
3. Look up hazardous waste drop-off sites in your community. To locate these drop-off sites, a quick trip to your online city or county website will do the trick. Look under headings like waste disposal or recycling until you find what you need.
4. Visit Earth 911. If you’re at a dead end, Earth 911 can usually help. Earth 911 has a super fast recycling search guide; all you do is enter your zip code and the item you’re looking to recycle.

You may also be interested in learning about Aerosol Product Recycling.