Avoid Hazards this Holiday Season by Properly Disposing of Household Chemicals and Electronics

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging Floridians to protect their health and the environment this holiday season, and all year long, by remembering to properly dispose of and recycle old, unwanted or unused household chemicals and electronics at household hazardous waste collection centers conveniently situated throughout the state.  These facilities, established through funding provided by DEP to encourage Florida residents to recycle and properly manage waste, provide free drop off service as well as special collection events for items such as leftover paint, used oil, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), pesticides, pool chemicals, computers and other toxic items.  Smaller counties which do not have permanent centers collect these materials at annual household hazardous waste collection events funded by DEP.

“Florida is a national leader in the prevention and proper management of hazardous waste found in homes and small businesses,” said Mary Jean Yon, Director of DEP’s Division of Waste Management.  “It is important to get the word out that these items should not be poured down the drain, on the ground, into stormwater collection systems or disposed in roadside garbage bins.”

DEP offers the following tips to help remind Floridians to properly dispose of household chemicals and electronics this 2009 holiday season:

1. Preparing your vehicle for holiday travel: Preparation for holiday travel sometimes includes replacing your car’s oil and oil filter, coolant or other fluids that need to be changed. Make sure you remember to recycle these materials at your community household hazardous waste or used oil drop off center.  If you have someone else work on your car, ask how they dispose of the items.
   
   
2. Prepping the yard for holiday visitors. If you do yard work this holiday season and come across dirty gasoline or oil that you cannot use in your mower or edger, be sure to take it to your community household hazardous waste collection center.
   
   
3. Painting the house. When you involve the family in a painting project and you find  old paint in your garage or shed that will not be used , be sure to take it to your household hazardous waste collection center or  give paint that is still usable to someone who needs it. Some counties offer free usable paint through a “swap shop.” Contact your county for details.
   
   
4. Cleaning the pool for holiday visitors. When cleaning the pool before guests arrive at your home, if you have old pool chemicals that are unusable, be sure to take them to your household hazardous waste collection center.
   
   
5. Working on holiday lighting projects. When replacing old light fixtures with new ones, consider replacing old light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). And don’t forget to recycle any old fluorescent bulbs. Also, consider replacing old or non-working holiday lights with energy efficient lights such as LED (light-emitting diode) lights.
   
   
6. Giving or receiving electronic game consoles or portable music devices as holiday gifts. If a family member gives you the latest electronic gaming or music device and you need a new home for your old one, consider donating working electronics to a charitable organization or recycling them.
   
   
7. Giving or receiving a television or computer as a holiday gift. Consider keeping old televisions or computers for games or DVDs. You can also donate those that work to a charitable organization or give them to a friend. If you can’t donate it or give it to a friend, recycle it.
   
   
8. Giving or receiving a new cell phone. If a family member or friend gives you a new cell phone, be sure to recycle the old one. Most cell phone providers and retailers will accept your old cell phone for recycling and some cell phone recycling companies donate working cell phones to charitable organizations for reuse.

Hazardous waste is solid waste that is flammable, corrosive, reactive or toxic, making it dangerous to both human health and the environment.  When disposed of with all other normal household wastes or tossed into community dumpsters, these hazardous wastes may be routed to landfills that are not adequately equipped to handle the materials.  Improperly managed wastes have the potential to contaminate ground water – the primary source of Florida’s drinking water supply.

With 45 counties that have permanent collection centers and 22 additional counties that hold regularly scheduled collection events, more than 99 percent of Florida’s households have access to household hazardous waste collection services.  In addition, in all of Florida’s 67 counties, small businesses receive assistance with managing small amounts of hazardous waste through county and regional planning council Small Quantity Generator (SQG) programs.  To contact a county or regional SQG program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/hwRegulation/default.htm .

For your nearest drop-off location visit www.earth911.org/household or call 1-800-CLEANUP for a household hazardous waste collection point near you.  To learn more about DEP’s household hazardous waste program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/hazardous/pages/household.htm .

This information originally published on November 20, 2009.

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Written by :

mkwestmark

 

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