Two Reasons Why It's So Important To Properly Dispose Of Residential Hazardous Waste Material

6 July 2017
 Categories: Environmental, Blog


When you think about hazardous waste material, you might envision the trash that comes from commercial businesses or industrial factories.  You may think the term only refers to extremely dangerous chemicals that couldn't possibly be found in your home.  However, although you might not realize it, some of the items that you use every day contain hazardous ingredients that can be quite harmful.  Things like antifreeze, batteries, and even chlorine bleach are classified as hazardous waste materials, and they can be very toxic if they aren't disposed of in the right manner.  Use this information to learn more about why you should always practice proper disposal methods when getting rid of hazardous waste materials:

Hazardous Materials Can Be Corrosive

If you happen to have an old bottle of insect repellant lying around that you want to get rid of, you might think that it's perfectly okay for you to pour the liquid down your toilet, flush it away and then place the receptacle in the trash can.  Although this may seem to be the right thing to do, it could end up being quite harmful to you.

Understand that things like insect repellant and lighter fluid often contain chemicals that are highly corrosive.  If the liquid goes down a toilet and enters your piping system, it could damage the metal pipes and cause them to deteriorate prematurely.  This can result in pipes that burst at the most inopportune time.

The best thing to do when you have these types of household items is to check with the waste management facility in your community to find out when they send out a specialized garbage disposal truck to pick up hazardous wastes.

Hazardous Waste Materials Can Contaminate The Soil

Another reason why you should always practice good hazardous waste material disposal is that failing to do so could end up causing contamination to the soil.  This could not only be harmful to wildlife if they happen to reside in the soil, but the toxic liquids could eventually become a part of the water supply that provides the drinking water for your town.  You definitely wouldn't want to be the culprit behind people ending up becoming ill because they consumed the toxic waste in the water that they drank.

Taking the steps necessary to get rid of hazardous waste materials in the safest way possible is the key to ensuring that no humans, animals or insects are harmed.  Start practicing good hazardous waste material disposal methods today so you can avoid making these mistakes as soon as possible.

Contact a hazardous waste management service for more information and assistance. 


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