Hazardous waste is considered anything poisonous, flammable or likely to explode. If an item can corrode other materials or mix with other chemicals and cause a dangerous reaction, it is hazardous. Falling in this category are potentially harmful household chemicals like bleach, oven cleaner, drain de-clogger, batteries, anything in an aerosol can, mothballs and fluorescent light bulbs.

It is recommended that all these items are stored safely away from pets and children (and that doesn’t mean under the kitchen sink). Find a place that is out of reach and make sure containers are upright and prevented from spilling, leaking or mixing with other chemicals.

If you choose to get rid of these items, never put the liquids down the drain, on the grass or in a waterway. Do not dispose of them in the trash, either. Most cities have special hazardous waste pick-up dates for curbside pickups or on-site disposal days. Call your city hall or information hotline to find out the locations and hours of hazardous waste business collection locations for the safe disposal of hazardous wastes.

NON-TOXIC CLEANING

Perhaps you want to switch to non-toxic cleaning products, which don’t emit harsh chemical fumes and don’t leave a nasty residue. There is a growing number of offerings, though not all may be found at your grocery store. Seek out natural food stores. They tend to carry these special items.

Why it is important to go green in cleaning at home? The Environmental Working Group studied more than 2,000 home products for cleaning and discovered fumes from some that led to the development of asthma. Others were laced with the carcinogenic impurity 1.4 dioxane. Still others contained preservatives that released low levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde.