When you are cleaning your home, you will want to get rid of the clutter in your home. You might think that it is okay to toss any type of trash into a dumpster, but many items contain chemicals that can pollute the environment. It is important to understand how to throw away certain items safely to protect the earth’s water, soil and air. Here are the proper ways to dispose of some of the things in your home.
Oil
There are two types of oil that require proper disposal, including cooking oil or the oil that is removed from your vehicle. Allow cooking oils to solidify in a refrigerator before placing the substances in a sealable container that you can toss into the trash. When you drain a vehicle’s oil, make sure that it is stored in an approved container, and bring the container to a recycling center for proper disposal.
Batteries
You likely have old batteries in your home from smoke detectors, electronic devices or your children’s toys. In addition to these small batteries, you may need to get rid of a larger battery that is from an automobile, boat or motorcycle. Batteries will degrade in landfills, leaching dangerous chemicals into the groundwater and soil, but you can take batteries to recycling centers in your city.
Light Bulbs
As a light bulb in your home stops working, you will need to get rid of it, but there are different ways to throw away these items. Halogen or standard light bulbs are acceptable in landfills, but you must use a different disposal method for compact fluorescent light bulbs. Wrap your old compact fluorescent light bulbs in a double layer of plastic such as old shopping bags, and bring the items to a recycling center at a local home improvement store.
Paint
If you have usable paint, then you can donate it to others so that the substances are used rather than thrown away. However, when no one wants the paint, you should dispose of it correctly. Permitting the paint to dry first is the best way to transport the containers to a recycling center. Make sure to call the recycling centers in your area to learn if there are any special disposal requirements.
Computers
When you have an old desktop or laptop computer, you shouldn’t place it in the trash. These items contain metals and other materials that are considered pollutants. You can often give old computers to schools or libraries where the items are refurbished for use by others, but you can also take the devices to laptop recycling centers that have technicians who take the items apart to dispose the different materials correctly.
Learning More about Safe Disposal
If you are confused about the safe disposal of the items that you want to throw away while you are cleaning, then look online for information or contact a local recycling center for additional information.
If you are questioning about the disposal of an item chances are that it doesn’t go in the trash. When we dispose items correctly we help our communities be safe.
