Everyone loves a clean home, but have you ever wondered what’s in those cleaning products? When people view what we accept, many are surprised to find that common cleaning products, especially heavy-duty cleaners, should not be disposed of at home and need to be brought in. Learn more about why certain cleaning products are hazardous, how to safely use them, and what to do when they are all used up. [Read more…]
Under the Hood: Dealing with Hazardous Waste from Cars
Whether you’re a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to automotive work on your car or just have a few spare bottles of car products for emergencies, chances are you’ve got a container of motor oil, antifreeze, coolant, or other products at home in the garage, maybe even including used oil and oil filters. Much of this is household hazardous waste and can’t be disposed of down the sink or into a garbage can. Learn how to deal with hazardous waste from cars.
Dealing with Used Motor Oil and Oil Filters
Changing your own oil is an easy way to save on automotive expenses and have full freedom of what to put in your car, but you need to handle it safely after use. Motor oil is toxic to animals and plants, including fish, where a quart of oil can contaminate up to a million gallons of water.
- Disposing of Used Motor Oil: Collect oil in a clean container with a screw cap, such as the original container. Return used oil for recycling to the store where you purchased it (they are required by MA law). You can also use the Used Oil Hotline: 617-556-1022.
- Draining Used Oil Filters: If you also replace your own filters, take special care with the used filter: undrained oil filters can contain up to 12 ounces of motor oil. Before disposal, you should drain them: puncture the domed part of the oil filter with a sharp tool and drain, collecting the oil.
Dealing with Automotive Coolant and Antifreeze
For many MA vehicles, their coolant and antifreeze are one-and-the-same, including hybrid brands and 50/50 ratios. Coolant is toxic, and due to its sweet smell and bright color, can be a hazard to both animals and small children. Spent antifreeze may contain metals from the engine, such as lead, zinc, and copper. Spent coolant should be kept in a sealed container and kept out of reach of children and pets.
Before pouring coolant down the drain, you’ll need to get approval from your wastewater treatment facility, as antifreeze can disturb the biological action of sewage treatment and septic systems. Your local service station or repair garage may accept spent antifreeze. Note that even more environmentally friendly propylene glycol may contain the same car pollutants after use and should be disposed of similarly.
Learn more about automotive batteries in our blog, Everything You Need to Know About Hazardous Battery Disposal!
At NEDT, we help New England residents dispose of their household hazardous waste when other options aren’t available or feasible, but we think the first step should always be taking steps at home to be safe. Learn more about dealing with household products with our Fact Sheets. If you’re interested in drop-off or pick-up of hazardous household products, see our locations, contact us online, or call us at 1-866-769-1621.
What Hazardous Materials Are Not Accepted for Disposal?
Here at NEDT, we talk a lot about the kind of materials we accept. But, there are some things we have to turn away at the door and point you to other agencies. From the dangerous to the mundane, below are several categories of the most common types of materials and products that we and most other residential disposal companies won’t or can’t accept.
Explosives
Generally speaking, if it poses an immediate danger to you and those around you, even if safety measures are taken, it won’t be accepted at collection centers. Explosives cover a wide array of products but are commonly:
- Ammunition
- Explosive chemicals and compounds
- Shock sensitive materials
- Flares
Reactive Chemicals and Materials
Reactive chemicals also tend to be restricted if they can undergo sudden state changes (condensation, decomposition, or polymerization), become self-reactive under shock, pressure, or temperature changes, or react vigorously with water to release a lethal gas (like cyanide). This is also why unidentified compressed gas cylinders are not accepted.
Asbestos and Radioactive Materials
If you need special equipment beyond glove and eye protection to handle these substances, chances are they shouldn’t be going to a household hazardous waste company. This includes airborne hazards like asbestos, as well as radioactive materials.
Medical Waste
Biological waste is generally not accepted at NEDT and other collection centers. Examples include used sharps, live culture dishes, and anything contaminated with blood.
Major Appliances (White Goods) Including CFCs
While NEDT accepts electronics, including Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors, they do not accept large appliances – so-called “white goods.” Also, fridges and ACs that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are not accepted.
Commercial Hazardous Waste & Products
Lastly, businesses cannot bring in their hazardous waste for disposal to one of these disposal centers. Instead, they must follow laws from the EPA and their statewide designated agency to dispose of commercial hazardous waste. NEDT does participate in MA’s VSQG (Very Small Quantity Generator) program. Learn more and if you can apply in this blog, Small Business Hazardous Waste: MA’s VSQG Requirements.
If some of the hazardous waste you want to bring in falls under one of these categories, learn about your options with our Fact Sheets as the MassDEP website. Learn more about what we accept and plan your trip to NEDT’s Household Hazardous Products Collection Centers today. We also provide pick up services: contact us today or call us at 866-769-1621.
Storing Gasoline at Home and When to Dispose of It
Whether it’s a can for the mower or a backup container for your car, at some point or another, we’ve all had one of those iconic red containers with some spare gas. However, that useful substance is also a hazardous product, and without properly storing gasoline at home – as well as handling and disposal – you’ll encounter risks to your home, health, and the environment. Learn what you need to know to deal with this hazardous household product.
Handling and Storing Gasoline at Home
It’s important always to remember that as a fuel, gasoline is inherently dangerous to you and your family.
- Gasoline is highly flammable and can be explosive. Store gasoline in approved, air-tight containers well away from children and pets, open flames, and sources of ignition.
- Gas contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs), especially from chemicals like benzene, a known carcinogen. Open in well-ventilated spaces.
- Do not store in your car’s trunk. These containers could break or be under threat of explosion from heat or impact during an accident.
How Gasoline Goes Bad
Like with many household products, gasoline can go bad. This can happen in two ways. First, gasoline can become contaminated, such as moved to an unclean container or left open near other products. Second is that gasoline has a shelf life, about six months for pure gas and three months for ethanol-blended gas (most US gas stations use “E10” gas that contains about 10% ethanol). In either situation, this gas should not be used and must be properly disposed of.
Disposing of Gasoline
Gasoline cannot be disposed of at home and shouldn’t be poured down the drain or thrown into the trash. This includes containers that have contained gasoline. You should also not mix gas with other automotive or chemical waste. Instead, gasoline is a Household Hazardous Product and needs to be disposed of at a community disposal event or a household hazardous waste collection center.
The NEDT Household Hazardous Products Collection Centers are just such a place. We’ve got multiple locations to help New Englanders dispose of gasoline and many other common hazardous products. Learn more about what we accept and educate yourself more on gasoline and other household hazardous products with our Fact Sheets. We also provide pick up services, including contactless services: contact us to learn more.
Everything You Need to Know About Hazardous Battery Disposal
Our world runs on batteries, from the ones in our cars to those in our smartphones. Most people only think of them when they run out, but we should all think about how to handle and dispose of them to keep ourselves and our homes safe. Today, we’re going to look at household battery disposal, how to handle and store them, what hazardous household waste they can contain, and where you can dispose of them.
Automotive Batteries
In New England, cold weather can make short work of automotive batteries for unwary drivers. Regardless, we all go through car batteries as they lose charge. If you do have to handle one, make sure to do so with acid-resistant rubber or leather gloves. Keep sparks, flames, and metal objects away from batteries, and cover any removed battery’s posts with electrical tape.
Do not throw car batteries in the trash, as they contain lead and sulfuric acid. Most vehicle battery retailers will accept used batteries when purchasing a new one. If your waste management company has a recycling center or a community household hazardous waste event, they usually take these there.
Household Batteries
Car batteries may be the biggest, but you likely have dozens of batteries at home of various shapes and sizes, many of which contain hazardous materials. Make sure to know how to deal with consumer batteries of all kinds.
- Alkaline batteries: Most non-rechargeable batteries in the US today are alkaline batteries. These are safe to dispose of in the trash. They tend to leak potassium hydroxide once they lose charge. This can damage electronics and burn skin, so inspect batteries before handling them.
- Nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries: Commonly known as “rechargeable batteries” or NiCads, these batteries can be loose or built into electronics. They contain the hazardous metal cadmium and should not be thrown in the trash.
- Lithium batteries: Found in computer and camera electronics, including smartphones, lithium is a hazardous substance that is reactive to water and can cause fires. Do not throw them in the trash.
- Button batteries: These small batteries are often found in small devices like watches and hearing aids. Many button batteries contain mercury and should not be thrown in the trash. Many stores that sell those small products will accept spent button batteries.
For all batteries that can’t be disposed of in the trash, they should be stored safely in a secure, dry place out of the reach of children and pets. Make sure the container is non-metal and vented, and avoid mixing different kinds of rechargeable battery types. Store until the next available disposal event or take them to your local disposal center.
Here at the NEDT Household Hazardous Products Collection Centers, we believe that through knowing your disposal options and doing your research, we can all have safer, greener lives. If you’d like to learn more about how to deal with common household hazardous waste, check out our Fact Sheets. If you need help disposing of your household hazardous waste, find your closest location or contact us for pick up!
