Household Hazardous Waste

Development and Spread

Since the early 1900s, a wider variety of consumer goods have been made available to the general public. Many of these contain chemical components that pose a hazard to human health or the environment. These materials are marketed similarly to other consumer goods: they are inexpensive, relatively available, and ubiquitous. Some of these products have taken the place of inexpensive alternatives that were traditionally made in the home. For example, simple cleaning solutions can be made much cheaper and safer than many of their commercial counterparts. Although these commercial products are inexpensive and available in many locations, they can be very dangerous to the environment or to human health—even in small doses. A quick inventory of products in most homes will produce a list of dangerous chemicals that can do great harm to adults, children, air, water, and soil. Many of them can be used for bomb making.

Waste Management

The fact that household hazardous wastes are dispersed in hundreds of thousands of homes in small quantities makes them difficult to manage. Waste collection options are limited, and the wastes can become part of the general waste stream in a community unless there are programs designed to collect these special chemicals. Most of the collection programs focus on particular pickup dates, which can pose an inconvenience, thereby limiting participation in household hazardous waste collection programs. The end result is that a large volume of household hazardous waste winds up in the regular trash.

Particular problems occur when household hazardous waste is stored for long periods of time within homes, garages, or storage areas. Many have experienced finding a can or bottle of a household product with a missing or difficult-to-read label. When this occurs, the waste is expensive and difficult to dispose of properly. In addition, household hazardous waste stored for long periods of time may chemically transform into more dangerous materials.

Types of Household Hazardous Waste

Household hazardous waste may be corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive. Labels classify consumer products using these terms if they have the potential to be harmful to human health. Examples of corrosive materials include bleach, battery acid, or oven cleaning products. Examples of toxic materials include a number of products that can cause harm or fatality if ingested or absorbed, such as antifreeze, pesticides, and some pharmaceutical products. Ignitable waste is comprised of materials [Page 398]that will readily catch fire, such as gasoline, varnishes, and some paints. Finally, reactive ingredients can give off toxic gases or explode and consist of lye and pool and spa chemicals.

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