Properly Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste
Ever wonder what to do with your old paint cans and pesticides? You’re not alone! First off, here’s how NOT to dispose of your household hazardous waste:
- Don’t dump it down the sink (the sewage treatment plant is not equipped to properly treat household hazardous waste)
- Don’t dump it down the storm sewer (in many communities, the storm sewer drains to the nearest creek or lake)
- Don’t bury it in your backyard (leakage of buried waste can contaminate groundwater).
Unfortunately, not many vendors accept unwanted household hazardous waste. But there are a few that take very specific types of waste, such as light bulbs, batteries, medication, and motor oil. If you live in east-central Illinois, visit regional household hazardous waste for more information on what different vendors will accept. The Illinois EPA coordinates one-day household hazardous waste collections each year in the spring and fall.
If none of the above options rid you of all your household hazardous waste, store it in a cool, dry place until there is a local or regional household hazardous waste collection event.
Household hazardous waste includes:
- paint and paint removers
- batteries
- light bulbs
- mercury thermometers
- medications
- pesticides
- fertilizers
- pool chemicals
- motor oil
- antifreeze
- lubricants
- drain cleaners
- household cleaners.
