What to know before you throw
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My wife greeted me with two large boxes the moment I walked
through the door.
"This stuff has to go," she said. "Get rid of it."
The boxes contained half- empty paint cans, a dozen or so used-up
flashlight batteries, aerosol spray cans of insect repellent and all-purpose
lubricants, some liquid pesticides and several coffee cans filled with gooey
paint stripper.
"Wait a minute," I said - in my most mild-mannered tone. "We can't just
toss this in the garbage."
That's not how it's done with hazardous household waste - leftover
materials that are flammable, toxic, corrosive or reactive. In addition to
paints and pesticides, other hazardous waste items include petroleum-based
solvents, antifreeze and leftover car fluids such as gasoline and motor oil.
If they don't go into garbage cans, then where should they go? Try the
STOP - Stop Throwing Out Pollutants - program, which provides many residents of
Long Island and New York City with a chance to properly dispose of these
products. Participating communities collect waste items for proper disposal at
drop-off sites, usually monthly during warm-weather months.
To download a brochure about disposing of hazardous household materials,
visit the the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Web site
(www.dec .state.ny.us/website/dshm/
redrecy/hhwma.pdf). The DEC provides partial funding to communities
involved in STOP, and its brochure contains information, ranging from safe
storage of materials to using more environmentally friendly products.
If you can't get to a drop-off site, here are some tips for dealing with
hazardous items.
Latex, or water-based, paint can be put in the regular trash as long as it
is left to dry out first. Open the lids and let the paint dry to a solid state
before discarding. Adding a couple of handfuls of cat litter to the can will
help paint dry faster.
Most car service centers will take gallon containers of used motor oil,
antifreeze and brake fluid for recycling. They also will take old car
batteries, as do salvage yards and scrap metal dealers. And many department and
electronics stores, as well as government buildings, have containers for
recycling old batteries from cameras and flashlights. These batteries contain
mercury, which is toxic.
Glues, epoxy adhesives, drain cleaners, caulk and asphalt sealers for
blacktop driveways are other candidates for STOP drop-off sites. Start filling
some boxes and putting them in a corner. Don't mix items - combining chemicals
can be dangerous - and keep lids tightened so containers don't leak.
If you're not sure whether a product is hazardous - or if you don't know
whether your town or village can help - call the appropriate regional DEC
office or your local sanitation department.
E-mail: gary.dymski@newsday.com.
