Did you know that Americans generate 1.6 million tons of household hazardous wastes per year? Household hazardous waste is a very important issue these days and we can all do our part in preventing and controlling it by reducing, reusing and recycling.
Certain household chemicals, when not used up, can become household hazardous wastes. If not disposed of properly, they could harm people, animals, and the environment. We must do our best to prevent this from happening or we could have serious problems on our hands.
What are household hazardous wastes? Some jobs around your home may require you to use certain hazardous chemicals. Some of these chemicals include household cleaners, deodorants, motor oil, paints, and more. The used or leftover contents of these products are known as household hazardous wastes. |
To minimize your household hazardous waste, use up left over products (if you have them) before you go out and buy new products. When you do buy new products, make sure you buy the right ones and only get the amount you need. When using the product, read and follow the directions carefully.
Many people dispose of their household hazardous wastes by pouring them down the drain, on the ground or in storm sewers. By doing this, these people can contaminate our lakes, groundwater, or even wastewater treatment plants. The dangers of these methods of disposal may not be obvious right away which makes it even more dangerous as the problem gets worse. If you cannot use up your left over products, recycle them or give them to neighbors. You could also bring them to a local collection program if one is available. We do have one here in Detroit Lakes and it is open. |
 Household hazardous wastes can be very dangerous and we all need to do our part to help prevent people, animals, and the environment from being harmed by them. So, when you go out to buy new products, make sure you don’t already have leftovers of that product at home, and, by reading the labels carefully, see if you can find something that is less hazardous.
Let’s all do our part to help out and our water resources will be healthy for years to come.
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