Jessica S. Herwick
With April just
around the corner and Daylight Savings giving us our extra hours of sunshine
back, it’s time to start thinking about spring… and spring cleaning! Many of the products you will use to scrub,
sanitize, wax, dust and paint your walls will certainly clean your home, but in
the long run, they may be polluting the environment, our water sources, and
even our gardens!
We buy certain
cleaning products, and use them, because they work. But, they work because
there is a formula of chemicals and other materials that are designed to kill
germs… and sometimes those formulas are toxic to more than just dust
bunnies. Products of this nature
are considered Household Hazardous Waste, and should be stored and disposed of
properly. Because federal law does not take responsibility for the disposal of
HHW, many communities have collection programs for HHW to reduce the potential
harm posed by these chemicals. EPA encourages participation in these HHW collection
programs. Read on to learn more
about how identify HHW in your home, and where to go in and around Philadelphia
to properly dispose of your HHW.
What
to Know…
Corrosive
(may destroy and damage other substances with which it comes into contact, usually through the gradual destruction of material, usually metals, by chemical reaction with its environment)
Toxic
(harmful when ingested. may become reactive when exposed to other chemicals)
Ignitable
(may catch fire, explode, burn or ignite when exposed to certain temperatures or other chemicals)
Reactive
(inherently unstable chemicals that are susceptible to rapid decomposition as well as chemicals which, under specific conditions, can react alone, or with other substances in a violent uncontrolled manner, liberating heat, toxic gases, or leading to an explosion)
This means
paints, cleaners, motor oils, batteries, light bulbs, pesticides, and even old
televisions, computers and electronics, fall into one or more of those
categories. All of these products
contain chemicals or other elements that are harmful to humans, animals or the
environment. Usually these
products come with warnings on their labels, which is your first clue as you
learn to identify what is HHW and what can safely go in the trash can. See the website
links below to read more about what the EPA and the Cooperative Extension
consider HHW and suggestions on how to store and dispose of products:
Breaks down the steps to identify Household Hazardous Waste
and dispose of it properly.
Penn State Cooperative Extension http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/xi0014.pdf
Free Penn State
publication online entitled Household
Hazardous Products and Hazardous Waste: A Summary for Consumers.
This is a well-organized wealth of information that I found
easy to read and extremely helpful in answering many of my own questions about
HHW. It also had a superb section
about the choices we make in cleaning products, with a list of safe household
solutions that not only work, but are safer for our families and our
environment (and much cheaper solutions than the chemical based cleaning
products on the market!)
Some
medications are considered HHW!
For
an updated list of prescription drugs which can be safely flushed please visit
the USFDA web site or contact the USFDA at 1-888-463-6332.
What to Do…
So what should
you do with this stuff? There can
be a lot of confusion about how to properly dispose of these household
items. Many people think it’s okay
to rinse empty containers out in the sink or dump outdated liquids down the
commode. Some people set old cans
of motor oil in the back yard, or toss batteries and old televisions out with
the garbage. Although federal law
permits us to throw many of these items in the trash, and no one can stop you
from pouring your bucket of cleaner onto the street and into the city drain
system, the EPA (and millions of citizens, scientists and tree-lovers agree)
these are not the safest way to dispose of your household trash.
Indirectly, these
chemicals and materials can pollute the environment, slip into sewer systems and
even into our drinking water when not disposed of properly. Directly, certain types of HHW have the
potential to contaminate wastewater treatment systems, contaminate septic
tanks, and even cause physical injury to sanitation workers who come into
contact with this sort of pollution.
The EPA recommends:
The EPA provides
a variety of information, research, instructions and specifics on how to safely
store and properly dispose of HHW for the benefit of your family, your
community and our environment.
They recommend finding a drop-off program, event, or center nearest to
your community and participating in the national efforts to reduce the
potential damage HHW can have on our environment.
Where to Go…
Along with
many other cities, towns and communities, Philadelphia is raising awareness and
doing its part by continuing their Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off Events. This is by far the easiest – and safest
- way to properly dispose of your HHW.
All you have to do is show up!
The first of 7 scheduled events is April 20th at the Streets
Department’s Training Center. You
can clear out the hazards in your house or garage between 9am and 3pm on this
day. Events are scheduled for May
through November in varying locations around the city. Bring your household hazardous items
and the staff at each event will take care of the rest for you.
** Be sure to read product labels for
disposal directions to reduce the risk of products exploding, igniting,
leaking, mixing with other chemicals, or posing other hazards on the way to a
disposal facility. Even empty containers of HHW can pose hazards because of the
residual chemicals that might remain! **
The Master
Gardeners and the Philadelphia Cooperative Extension are doing their part to
support many of these events by donating their time to attend the drop-offs and
distribute information to participants.
Master Gardeners interested in donating their time can get more
information on the MG volunteer webpage.
Scheduled HHW Drop Off Events for 2013:
9am to 3pm
April 20 Streets
Department’s Training Center (State Road)
May 18 1st
District Highway Yard (Parkside Ave)
June 15 Northwest
Transfer Station (Domino Ln. & Umbria S., Roxborough)
July 18 Street’s
Department’s Training Center (State Road)
September 21 3rd
District Highway Yard (22nd & York St.)
October 26 Streets
Department Facility (S. 63rd St.)
November 2 Streets
Department Northeast Facility (Delaware Ave.)
ANYTIME HHW DROP OFF SITES
8am – 6pm Monday
through Saturday
Accepts Only
Computer Equipment and Televisions
Citizen
Drop-Off Center
Domino Lane and
Umbria Street, Roxborough
Open Monday - Saturday 8am to 6pm 215-685-2501 ext. 02
Citizen
Drop-Off Center
State Road &
Asburner Street
Open Monday - Saturday 8am to 6pm 215-685-8072 ext. 73
Citizen
Drop-Off Center
3033 South 63rd
Street – Northwest of Passyunk Avenue
Open Monday - Saturday 8am to 6pm 215-685-4290 ext. 01
Additionally:
(In partnership
with eCovanta)
Residents may
drop off Computers and Televisions on the 2nd Saturday of each month
from 10am to 2pm at the Ezekiel Baptist Church, 5701 Grays Avenue.
Don’t see your community on the lists
above?
Check the PADEP!
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Webpage listing HHW collection
programs by county:
In Case You Didn't Already Know!
Here
are some cool, interesting facts to share with your neighbors when you tell
them about the local drop off events and help motivate your community to think
differently about HHW.
• The average American home has as much as 100 pounds of hazardous materials in
it, and the EPA estimates that we generate as much as 1.6 million tons of
household hazardous waste each year.
Based
on national data from collection programs, a typical breakdown of HHW is:
• 50% paints and paint products
• 20% used motor oil
• 20% solvents, pesticides and herbicides
• 10% batteries, unidentified materials and other miscellaneous items, such as
old chemistry sets, photographic materials, and fiberglass epoxy.
No comments:
Post a Comment