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Household Hazardous Waste

IF YOU WORK ON A CAR OR IN A HOME OR GARDEN, YOU’RE LIKELY EXPOSED TO MANY COMMON HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTES.  WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

:MARIE STEINWACHS IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI EXTENSION.

STEINWACHS "I THINK CONSUMER CHOICE IS WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE MOST IMPACT IN REDUCING HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE."

SHE RECOMMENDS CONSUMERS CAREFULLY READ LABELS BEFORE BUYING PRODUCTS SUCH AS PESTICIDES, CLEANSERS, AND PAINTS – WORDS LIKE TOXIC, WARNING, AND CAUTION CAN IDENTIFY POTENTIAL HAZARDS.

AND WHAT TO DO IF YOU ALREADY OWN SUCH PRODUCTS? DON’T POUR LEFTOVERS IN THE TRASH OR DOWN THE DRAIN - TRY TO USE THEM UP SAFELY OR RECYCLE THEM – YOU’LL FIND SOME GREAT IDEAS FOR HOW ON THE ENVIRONMINUTE WEB SITE.  NEED MORE INFO?  ASK YOUR LOCAL DISPOSAL SERVICE FOR ADVICE.

To read more about hazardous materials, please visit the Pollution Prevention Roundtable, the Healthy Home web site by the University of Wisconsin, and the Purdue University site.

For more information on the proper use of safety equipment, how to read product labels, safe storage and handling, and safer alternatives, please download the guidesheets found here.

To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org