Tuesday, February 19, 2013
This blog post is
the first in a three part series that I'm dedicating to the topic of
creating a healthier home environment. In this series I will be
covering (1) Household Hazardous Waste Disposal, (2) Green Cleaning
Techniques and (3) Improving Indoor Air Quality.
Every household has them, it seems. Hazardous
waste products that are both harmful to the environment and to the
people who use them. Windshield washer solution, insect killer,
rechargeable batteries, hair dye, paint thinner, nail polish remover,
bleach, drain cleaners, bathroom cleaners, laundry stain removers,
and so on. These items are all examples of household hazardous waste
(HHW) and must be disposed of correctly in order to protect people and pets and to avoid chemical
contamination of our soil, air and water.
My goal is to make
my own home a healthier place to live. In so doing, I would like to
share the information and resources that I come across in the hopes
that it might be of some use to you and your family. By the same
token, I'm sure that many of you reading this will have some
knowledge of your own in these areas. If you have any helpful hints, anecdotal
evidence or words of advice please share!
Here's to creating healthy homes and a healthy environment with healthy and happy people.
Here's to creating healthy homes and a healthy environment with healthy and happy people.
What is household hazardous waste?
Every household has them, it seems. Hazardous
waste products that are both harmful to the environment and to the
people who use them. Windshield washer solution, insect killer,
rechargeable batteries, hair dye, paint thinner, nail polish remover,
bleach, drain cleaners, bathroom cleaners, laundry stain removers,
and so on. These items are all examples of household hazardous waste
(HHW) and must be disposed of correctly in order to protect people and pets and to avoid chemical
contamination of our soil, air and water.
How to dispose of household
hazardous waste.
As a general rule, hazardous waste
should never be poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet.
Doing so will likely damage your plumbing and cause more pollution to
build up in our waterways and oceans. Most of these products come
with proper disposal instructions right on the packaging, but you
should also check with your local community for waste collection
programs.
Canadians can visit the David Suzuki
Foundation website for a full listing of HHW disposal locations in
each province. Americans can check out the EPA's website for more
information on HHW.
But before you go anywhere make sure to
abide by the following four rules:
- Keep all products in their original containers
- Keep all products tightly sealed
- Don't mix different products together
- Always follow any instructions for use as provided on the product labels
Reduce
your use.
Part
2 of this series will go into more detail on ways to reduce your HHW
by providing some chemical-free cleaning alternatives.
Many of our
common household needs can be taken care of without the use of
harmful ingredients and for a fraction of what it would cost to buy
brand name products. For example, white vinegar is an effective way
of getting rid of most mold, bacteria and germs. Check out
VinegarTips.com for 1001 Uses for White Distilled Vinegar. You'll be
amazed at how simple it can be to immediately start cutting back on
your HHW!
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