When you buy paint, or car wax, or a computer you don’t really think of those things as toxic or hazardous. Hazardous materials aren’t sold in stores right? I mean, as long as I don’t go around swallowing paint this stuff can’t hurt me right? 

Items like used paints and cleaners do represent s potential source of harm to our environment. Think of a common scenario. Someone (we won’t say you because you wouldn’t do this) dumps a half gallon of paint down the drain after they’ve finished repainting t a room. That paint will go on to contaminate pipes, sewers, and possibly even drinking water for days or weeks. Motor oil that is just dumped out into the ground goes on to contaminate ground water, harming wildlife and plants. Even a computer that has been improperly disposed of can cause great harm by exposing both animals and people to lead and other contaminates.

So when you are dealing with household hazardous waste be careful. Make sure that you cap and store paints and cleaners properly. Keep them out of the reach of pets and children and away from heat sources that can spark a fire. When it comes time to dispose of these chemicals dispose of them properly.

There are many ways to dispose of household hazardous and e-waste. You can often trade-in small electronics for cash. You can take your household chemicals like cleaners, solvents, and paints to city drop off center or a hazardous waste disposal event. If you have a lot of hazardous materials to dispose of try calling a hauling service that specializes in disposal of household hazardous waste and chemicals.