Solutions for Hazardous Waste

Waste Management: Minimizing the Impact
Waste management is based on the premise that a high volume of waste is the unavoidable result of our modern lifestyle and of economic development. The objective is therefore to manage waste and minimize its impact. Waste-management strategies include burying or incinerating waste or exporting it to some other state or country.


Waste Prevention: Minimizing the Volume
Preventing waste is a kind of "front-end" approach; it views waste either as material that should not be created in the first place or as a potential resource that can be used as raw material for another process. The fundamental objectives of this approach are to reduce the use of new raw materials and energy and to recycle waste products back into usable resources.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, the waste-prevention approach should have the following hierarchy of goals:
1. Reduce waste and pollution.
2. Reuse as many things as possible.
3. Recycle and compost as much waste as possible.
4. Chemically or biologically treat or incinerate waste that can't be reduced, reused, recycled, or composted.
5. After the first four goals have been met, bury what is left in state-of-the-art landfills or above-ground vaults

Common Hazardous Waste that can be seen in our community that can be easily disposed if done in the right way:

• Automotive products (antifreeze, fluids, motor oil)
• Batteries (home and car)
• Cathode ray tubes (TVs, computer monitors)
• Fluorescent light bulbs and ballasts
• Household cleansers
• Medicines
• Mercury (thermometers, thermostats)
• Paints, latex and oil (must be dried)
• Pesticides

Here are some ways that you can do at your own home to properly dispose of your Hazardous Waste.

 Curbside Pickup

In some communities, some household hazardous waste can be collected at the curb. It’s important that residents keep these materials separate from regular trash. Hazardous waste should never be discarded down a sink or storm drain – it could contaminate groundwater or potentially flow into larger bodies of water.
Return-by-mail Recycling Kits
Our household hazardous waste recycling kits are postage-paid, return-by-mail programs your residents can order online. They simply mail the items back to us for environmentally responsible treatment and disposal.
Community Collection and Drop Off
As your environmental partner, we can also work with you to organize regular community drop-off programs and retailer take-back events.


 - Just remember, if you want to dispose any hazardous waste, don't just throw it away with no concern with what could happen to the environment if you irresponsibly dispose your hazardous waste anywhere.



- Sherwin Severino


References:http://www.learner.org/interactives/garbage/hazardsolut.html
http://www.wm.com/enterprise/municipalities/residential-solutions/household-hazardous-waste.jsp