Hazardous Waste Resources
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is any substance containing ingredients that could negatively affect your safety, health or the environment. Signal words found on hazardous products include poison, danger, warning and caution. They can be found on a wide range of products, including furniture polish, bleach, antifreeze, insecticides, paint, mothballs and much more. Also look for indications of hazardous properties on the label. Such properties are defined by the Environmental Hazards Management Institute as follows:
- Toxic: can cause injury or death if swallowed, absorbed or inhaled
- Flammable: easily catches fire and tends to burn rapidly
- Corrosive: a chemical or its vapors that can cause a material or living tissue to be destroyed
- Explosive: violently bursting when exposed to pressure or heat
- Irritant: causes soreness or swelling of the skin, eyes, mucous membranes or respiratory system
Another hazardous property you may see on a label is reactive. This means the product contains chemicals that, if combined with certain other substances, could result in hazardous reactions such as gaseous emissions or explosions.
Dumping unused portion of hazardous wastes in the trash or down the drain can cause safety and environmental problems.
When in doubt - simply bring to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility!
These items are not accepted at the Pope/Douglas Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
- Explosives – shock sensitive materials (gun powder, fireworks, dynamite and picric acid) – Disposal option
- Ammunition – Disposal option
- Pathological wastes
- Asbestos containing building materials and insulation – Disposal option