Did you know that the average home can easily accumulate as much as 100lbs of cleaners, pesticides, paints, oils and other hazardous waste? Now imagine if a child or even, an adult were to mistakenly handle or consume those chemicals. It does seem like your worst nightmare coming true, right?

Well, you can avoid this nightmare by taking some steps to dispose off or recycle hazardous household waste and chemicals. Here are some ways to properly recycle and dispose of common household chemicals and toxic products.

Check the Label

Begin by reading the manufacturer’s instructions for disposing off leftover cleaning solutions or chemical products. If you can’t find this on the label, do visit the website and look for the information over there. It may usually be listed under FAQs or Product Information.

Household Chemical Collection Options

Most communities have a facility that collects household hazardous waste and toxic products. Look for one in your area. While some may have a permanent facility that collects chemicals all year round, others may have chemical collection days at a central location. Alternatively, the EPA advises that should your community not have a collection centre or a collection day, you can drop off certain products at local businesses, such as garages, for recycling or disposal.

Don’ts for Disposal of Household Chemicals

Along with the dos, there are some dont’s as well that you should keep in mind when disposing off hazardous products at home.

• Don’t pour them down the drain. Check with your local authorities since different areas have different regulations regarding household chemical disposal. However, at all costs, avoid flushing them into the sewer, drain or toilet if you use a septic tank system.
• Don’t attempt to finish them up. If you have an unused or half-used bottle of strong household chemicals like bleach or ammonia, don’t try to use them up in the attempt to finish them. These chemicals are toxic, poison the air and are a huge health hazard for homes with infants and elderly people.
• Don’t mix them up with other products to increase efficiency or make your own special chemical cleaner! According to the EPA, incompatible products can react, ignite and even, explode.
• Don’t ever store household chemicals in food or drink containers, such as bottles.

Finally, try to reduce your consumption and usage of chemicals as much as possible. Household cleaners, for instance, can be the first to go. Switch to eco-friendly cleaners for a clean and safe home. Be vigilant about storing the chemicals that you do have to use and as soon as you’re done with them, follow the steps above to ensure that you dispose of them safely.

References: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Website

Photo Credit: Dan McCay