HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE...
IF YOU DUMP IT, YOU MAY HAVE TO DRINK IT!
If someone were to drop a poison into your community's water supply, it would be considered a crime. Yet, people pour hazardous substances down the drain or toss them out with the trash everyday. Some of these substances make their way into our drinking water, our fishing waters and our swimming waters. Hazardous wastes have been known to contaminate ground water under landfills. They can contaminate lakes and streams even after the wastes have been “treated” at a sewage treatment plant. When improperly thrown away, these wastes can injure solid waste workers, or can cause an expensive emergency situation. When trash containing hazardous waste is incinerated, it can contaminate the air in your neighborhood.
WHAT IS HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE?
Generally, households have 3-10 gallons (or more) of hazardous materials in them. Look under your kitchen sink, in your bathroom, in your garage, in your basement. Some hazardous materials are obvious: old gasoline, paint thinner, pesticides. But many are not: polishes, glues, batteries, paints, cleaners. Some of these contain the same compounds used by industry. The U.S. EPA and the Maine DEP define hazardous materials as:
 | flammable - can catch fire easily |
| reactive - can react or explode |
| corrosive - can corrode containers and other materials |
| toxic - can poison humans, plants, and other animals |
The substances we use on a daily basis can often have these characteristics. The combination of bleach and ammonia for example, can cause fatal gases. Swimming pool chemicals can cause explosions and fatal gases when mishandled.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Reduce - As with an product, it is best to reduce the amount that you purchase and/or throw away. This is the least expensive and most environmentally sound practice.
| Determine if there is a less hazardous product. |
| Buy only the quantity you need. |
| If you can't use it up, give it to someone who can. Schools and community groups may be especially grateful for donations of paint. |
| Materials that are too risky to use should be stored until there is a household hazardous waste collection in your area. |
Safe Storage - Important tips!
| Keep the product in its original container. |
| Never mix different chemical products. |
| Wrap the waste carefully according to label directions; place in double plastic bags and label the outside of the bag. |
| Store in an out-of-the-way location, away from heat and children or pets. Ignitable wastes should be stored away from the house, if possible. |
| Don't store hazards in rusty containers or in open containers. Don't let these materials leak onto the ground or into floor drains. |
In case of spills - To stop liquid spills from reaching the ground or a floor drain, clay cat litter (with no chemical additives) may be used as an absorbent. Vermiculite, disposable diapers and other products designed specifically for use with chemicals may also be used as absorbents.
Dispose Safely - Encourage your town to participate in household hazardous waste collection programs. These collection days are opportunities to take hard-to-dispose wastes to trained chemists. They will package and dispose of wastes according to federally approved standards. Remember that these collections are only for materials which are generated by residential use. Disposal of wastes which are generated through commercial or industrial activity must comply with DEP hazardous waste regulations.
Explosive wastes usually require separate handling. These include not only ammunition, but certain chemicals such as picric acid, ether, and concentrated hydrogen peroxide (household strength is not explosive). If you have any of these wastes, contact your local police department for further information.
The following chart is based on information from the U.S. EPA's Hazardous Waste regulations. AVCOG assumes no responsibility and disclaims any liability for any injury or damage from the use or effect of any product or information specified in this publication. The information contained in this pamphlet is intended as a general guideline. Regulations may change over time. Product formulation may also change over time. Be sure to read the label for disposal directions, and above all, use common sense.
The following chart provides a list of household products and recommends the best method of disposal.
| KITCHEN | DRAIN | TRASH | HAZARDOUS DAY |
| Aerosol Cans | . | v | . |
| Aluminum Cleaners | o | . | . |
| Ammonia Cleaners | o | . | . |
| Bug Sprays | . | . | xxxx |
| Drain Cleaners | o | . | . |
| Floor Care Products | . | . | xxxx |
| Furniture Polish | . | . | xxxx |
| Metal Polish with Solvent | . | . | xxxx |
| Oven Cleaners (Lye Based) | . | . | xxxx |
| Window | o | . | . |
| BATH | . | . | . |
| Bath Cleaners | o | . | . |
| Personal Care Products | o | v | . |
| Nail Polish (Solidified) | . | v | . |
| GARAGE | . | . | . |
| Antifreeze | . | . | xxxx |
| Auto Transmission Fluid | . | . | xxxx |
| Auto Body Repair Products | . | v | . |
| Battery Acid (or battery) | . | . | xxxx |
| Brake Fluid | . | . | xxxx |
| Car Wax with Solvent | . | . | xxxx |
| Gasoline, Kerosene, Diesel | . | . | xxxx |
| Metal Polish with Solvent | . | . | xxxx |
| Oil | . | . | xxxx |
| Windshield Washer Solution | o | . | . |
| GARDEN | . | . | . |
| Bug Killer, Weed Killer | . | . | xxxx |
| Fertilizer | . | v | . |
| Fungicide | . | . | xxxx |
| Rat Poison | . | . | xxxx |
| WORKSHOP | . | . | . |
| Aerosol Cans (Empty) | . | v | . |
| Cutting Oil | . | . | xxxx |
| Glue (Solvent Based) | . | . | xxxx |
| Glue (Water Based) | o | v | . |
| Paint - Latex | . | v | . |
| Paint - Oil Based, Model | . | . | xxxx |
| Paint - Auto, Marine | . | . | xxxx |
| Paint Brush Cleaners (Solvent) | . | . | xxxx |
| Paint Brush Cleaners (TSP) | o | . | . |
| Paint Thinners, Strippers | . | . | xxxx |
| Primer | . | . | xxxx |
| Rust Remover (Phosphoric Acid) | o | . | . |
| Varnish | . | . | xxxx |
| Wood Preservative | . | . | xxxx |
| MISCELLANEOUS | . | . | . |
| Artists Paints, Mediums | . | . | xxxx |
| Dry Cleaning Solvents | . | . | xxxx |
| Fiberglass Epoxy | . | . | xxxx |
| Formalin, Formaldehyde | . | . | xxxx |
| Gun Cleaning Solvents | . | . | xxxx |
| Lighter Fluid | . | . | xxxx |
| Mercury Batteries | . | . | xxxx |
| Moth Balls | . | . | xxxx |
| Photographic Chemicals | . | . | xxxx |
| Shoe Polish | . | v | . |
| Swimming Pool Chemicals | . | . | xxxx |
| Transformers and Fluorescent Lights | . | . | xxxx |