eliminate Hazardous wastes

 

general tips

disposal

banned pesticides

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Eliminate Hazardous Wastes

Hazardous waste is any material that poses a risk to people or the environment when it is disposed of improperly. When we dispose of a toxic household product it often ends up in a landfill, incinerator, septic tank, wastewater treatment facility, or stream. Septic tanks and wastewater treatment plants rely on a delicate balance of bacteria to decompose wastes. If this balance is disturbed by the introduction of a toxic household product, the tank or plant may malfunction, sending untreated chemicals into groundwater or local streams.

Water supplies can be contaminated by direct dumping into streams or storm drains or by leaching into ground water at landfills. Hazardous chemicals can escape into the air when wastes are burned in incinerators that are not designed for hazardous substances.

General Tips:

• Be aware of the uses and dangers of products. If directions are unclear, contact the manufacturer or dealer before using.
  
  
• Reduce or eliminate your use of toxic household products.
  
  
• Properly dispose of any household hazardous waste you do have.
  
  
• Keep unused products in their original containers so that you can refer to the directions and a list of contents in case of accidental poisonings. Always store products in a safe, dry place.
  
  
• Never mix different or unknown chemicals together. (Such products as epoxy require chemicals to be mixed, follow the directions carefully.)
  
  
• Never pour harmful chemical products down the drain. Many toxic substances disturb septic tanks, contaminate groundwater, or pass right through sewage treatment plants into the aquatic environment or Buzzards Bay.
  
  
• Buy only what you need. Then you won't have to dispose of unused quantities.

Disposal:

• Find a service station that will properly dispose of the product.
  
  
• Store the product safely and dispose of them at your town landfill during a hazardous waste drop off day. Call your local Department of Public Works for information on upcoming drop off days. Write your local representatives urging the implementation of a household hazardous waste collection program if none exists in your town. (To find the name of your local representatives, look under the city or county government listing in the phone book for voter information.)
  
  
• Don't use pesticides if rain is forecast, unless specifically recommended in the directions. Rain can carry these poisons into a nearby creek or storm drain. (Most storm drains dump runoff waters directly into a creek or other body of water.) Likewise, after applying pesticides, be careful not to over-water your lawn.
  
  
• All pesticides are toxic; many are highly toxic in very small amounts. If your locality doesn't have a household hazardous waste collection program, proper disposal of pesticides may be virtually impossible. Therefore try to avoid pesticide use completely. Utilize non-toxic methods such as insect pest management or diatomaceous earth.
  
  
• If you have a pesticide that is currently registered and approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, try the following:
  
  
  1. Use the remainder of the product in accordance with all safety and storage precautions. Make sure to use the correct dosage or dilution for the problem at hand.
     
     
  2. Find someone else who can use the remainder of the product.
     
     
  3. Store the product in accordance with the storage precautions and write your local officials urging the implementation of a household hazardous waste collection program. (To find the name of your local representatives, look under the city or county government listing in the phone book for voter information.)
  
  

Banned Pesticides:

The following pesticides are now banned from sale or are severely restricted in use.

Do not use these products. If you have a banned pesticide in your possession, follow disposal option (3) listed above. There are several web sites dedicated to this topic. They include Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture and the National Pesticide and Toxics Network.

This page was adapted from text written by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.