How Do I Dispose of Household Chemicals?
You may have a spot in your garage or under the sink where you are storing old chemicals. You want to get rid of them but don’t know how.
The challenge is that keeping these old chemicals in your home can make the air quality in your home worse, and can potentially affect your health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants to be 2 to 5 times higher inside homes than outside.
Back in the day people would just toss out chemicals in their back yard, creating a cesspool of toxic waste, unbeknownst to them. We have better solutions nowadays.
What is Household Hazardous Waste?
Household hazardous waste is any material discarded from homes that may cause a human or environmental hazard when disposed of improperly.
Putting items such as electronics, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, pesticides, and other chemicals in your landfill bin or down the drain is not legal and can contaminate the soil, drinking water and air. Many paints are laden with heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead. When pouring acrylic paint down the drain, it will harden into a plastic-like substance and clog pipes.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has a description of types of household hazardous waste and what you can do with it.
Your local city or county government typically has a process for disposal. The best way to find a facility near you is to go to your city of county's website or search "Household Hazardous Waste disposal Near Me".
Your waste disposal company may also have options for disposal. For example, Waste Management can pick up electronics, paints, chemicals, motor oil and more right from your home in certain cities.
Alternatives to Hazardous Household Chemicals
The best way to reduce toxic waste is to limit the use of toxic substances. First, use cleaning agents that are certified as meeting the US EPA's Safer Product Standards, U.S EPA's "Safer Choice".
All-Purpose Cleaner
Vinegar or lemon juice diluted with water; or three tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart water.
Mix ½ cup of borax in 1 gallon of hot water. Cool before using.
Drain Cleaner
Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of vinegar into the drain - using boiling water helps to add afterwards. Cover the drain until fizzing stops, and then flush with boiling water. Don't forget about the trusty drain snake.
Insecticides
Mix 2 to 4 tablespoons liquid soap in 1 gallon of water. Spray on foliage. Test first as soap may damage some plant foliage.
Caulk and seal doorways to prevent insect infestation.
Ants: Wash countertops with an equal mixture of vinegar and water. Use boric acid.
Roaches: Mix 1 part borax or boric acid, 1 part flour, 1 part sugar and set out in warm dark places.
Paints
Look for new, low-volatility paints that have little or no ethylene glycol or other petroleum-based solvents.
Latex paint contains fewer toxic and flammable solvents than oil-based paints. You can use dried latex paint in your household trash.
Whitewash is a combination of hydrated lime, water, and salt that doesn't contain heavy metal pigments or alkyd resins.
Low-volatility paints are those with with little to no ethylene glycol or other petroleum-based solvents.
