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A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT STARTS AT HOME
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

 

About this guide

This guide was produced by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). The MWRA is a public agency dedicated to providing reliable, cost-effective water and sewer services to 62 Massachusetts communities. In serving over 2.5 million residents and some 5,500 businesses, the MWRA is committed to ensuring affordable rates, protecting the environment, and modernizing infrastructure as the foundation for the region's economic vitality.

As part of its environmental protection effort, the MWRA has designed a household hazardous waste program to inform ratepayers about the importance of reducing pollutants that travel from households and storm drains through the sewer system to local waterways.

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Know the Facts about Household Hazardous Waste

In the United States average the average household contains fifteen pounds of hazardous products such as paints, toilet bowl cleaners, used motor oil and pesticides which can threaten human health and the environment.

The improper use of household hazardous products, using too much or not following written precautions, can have relatively minor effects ranging from eye and throat irritations, headaches, dizziness and nausea, to more serious effects such as skin rashes, burns. liver or kidney damage, cancer, birth defects, and even death. Improper disposal of waste through household or storm drains can result in costly disruption to the wastewater system, serious injury to waste handlers and the contamination of local air and water resources. Once in these waters, used motor oil, antifreeze and other wastes - even small amounts - have a profound effect on the animals that live there.

In many cases, using non-toxic alternatives and appropriate options will resolve many threats caused by household hazardous waste. Using alternatives to household chemicals will result in a safer home and environment at a fraction of the cost, since alternatives are nearly always less expensive. Properly using and disposing of the household chemicals you use will not only protect the environment, but will help save the cost of environmental clean-ups as well. For products where non-toxic alternatives are not available, read the label and try to choose products with a CAUTION label over those with WARNING or DANGER. To avoid the need for disposing of unwanted or unusable portions of a hazardous product, buy only as much as you need.

This guide outlines some choices for safely using and disposing of household hazardous products and suggests the use of non-toxic alternatives whenever possible. Making the right choices will make a positive difference to our neighborhoods and our environment for generations to come.

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CLEANERS

The Chemicals they Contain

Cleaners do not contain one easily-identified chemical, but are often a mixture of complex, unnamed compounds. Some cleaners contain strong acids such as sulfuric acid (drain cleaners) or bases such as potassium hydroxide (oven cleaners). Others may contain petroleum distillates as grease cutters.

The Danger to Human Health

Cleaners can cause severe eye, skin, lung and nervous system damage and may also be poisonous if ingested. Specific dangers are hard to define because each cleaner is different. For example, many furniture polishes contain petroleum distillates which cause lung damage if inhaled. Chlorine bleaches are extremely reactive and should never be mixed with ammonia or acidic compounds such as drain or toilet bowl cleaners because potentially lethal fumes will be released. Many drain and oven cleaners are extremely corrosive and will cause damage to skin if contact occurs.

The Threat to the Environment

Cleaning products are more likely to enter the environment through everyday use via sewer and storm drains than as a result of improper disposal. Since the majority of ingredients in household cleaners break down rather quickly, most do not persist in the environment. Some ingredients, however, are slow to degrade and are found on the Environmental Protection Agency's list of hazardous substances. Detergents with phosphates should be avoided. In addition, some powder detergents contain heavy metals such as arsenic and zinc.

Cleaners
Product Disposal Alternatives/safe use
Drain openers and cleaners Use it up or give it to someone who can use it. Do not use chlorine bleach, ammonia or drain cleaners together.

Pour boiling water directly down your drain, not into the basin, twice weekly to prevent clogs.

Use a drain trap or strainer to catch food and hair.

To clear a clogged drain, use a metal snake or plunger.

Oven cleaners Use it up or give it to someone who can use it.

Clean often with baking or washing soda: mix 3 TBS soda with 1 cup of warm water. Rub gently with steel wool.

Use oven liners (such as aluminum foil) to catch spills.

A small dish of ammonia left in the oven overnight will soften burnt spills and can be reused.

Chlorine bleach Use it up or give it to someone who can use it. Do not use chlorine bleach and ammonia together.

Use dry bleach, borax or washing soda to whiten.

Borax is a good grease cutter.

Never mix with ammonia.

Window cleaner Use it up or give it to someone who can use it.

Clean often.

For windows and mirrors, use vinegar and water (2 TBS vinegar to 1 qt. water), let dry and polish with newspaper.

Toilet bowl cleaner Use it up or give it to someone who can use it. Clean with baking soda or use lemon juice and borax.
Surface cleaner Use it up or give it to someone who can use it. For tile and bathroom fixtures, use baking soda dissolved in water.
Rug and upholstery cleaners Use it up or give it to someone who can use it. Save for a collection program. No alternatives. Look for commercially-produced, non-toxic cleaners.
Linoleum floor cleaner and wax Do not place in trash or down the drain. Use it up or give it to someone who can use it. Save for a collection program. Mop with 1 cup white vinegar mixed with 2 gallons of water to remove dull, greasy film. Polish with club soda.

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PAINTS AND SOLVENTS

The chemicals they contain

A solvent is a substance that dissolves another substance. Organic solvents are found in enamel and primer paints, stains and varnishes. Paints may also contain heavy metals. Other products containing organic solvents include laundry degreasers and home and auto parts cleaners which may contain perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene.

The danger to human health

Most organic solvents are poisonous if they are swallowed or if the vapors are inhaled in sufficient quantities. Most solvents can also be absorbed through the skin. Methylene chloride, used extensively in paint removers, can be particularly toxic to people with heart ailments. Other common toxics in solvents and paints include toluene, phenols, trichloroethane, perchloroethylene and petroleum distillates. These compounds can effect the respiratory and nervous system, as well as cause dizziness, cancer, birth defects and damage to organs. In addition to being toxic, oil-based paint products are combustible.

The threat to the environment

Used or unwanted solvents dumped down the sink, poured down a storm drain, tossed in the trash or poured on the ground often wind up in nearby rivers, streams or Boston Harbor where they can be toxic to aquatic life, even at low concentrations.

Paints and Solvents
Product Disposal Alternatives/safe use
Furniture polish Do not place in trash or rinse down the drain. Save for a collection program.

Polish with 1 tsp. lemon oil or almond oil dissolved into 1 pint mineral oil.

Wash with oil soap or castile soap and water.

Rub toothpaste on furniture to remove water marks.

Use the oil from crushed walnuts to conceal nicks and scratches.

Shoe polish Do not place in trash or rinse down the drain. Save for a collection program. Avoid polishes that contain tricloroethylene, methylene chloride or nitrobenzene. Rub with lemon juice an buff with a soft cloth.
Metal polish Do not place in trash or rinse down the drain. Save for a collection program.

Soak silver in 1 quart of boiling water with 1 tsp. baking soda or cream of tartar, 1 tsp. salt and a piece of aluminum foil. Polish with toothpaste and rinse.

Pour lemon juice or vinegar and salt over copper and rub.

For brass, use 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 cup white vinegar with enough flour to make a paste, then let sit 25 minutes to 1 hour. Wipe clean.

Soak aluminum in 1 quart boiling water with 2 tsp. cream of tartar.

Spot removers Do not place in trash or rinse down the drain. Save for a collection program.

Use club soda for fruit juice, tea, gravy, ketchup and mud.

Use immediate cold water for blood.

Use lemon juice for ink and perspiration.

Use beaten egg whites on leather.

Paint thinners Do not place in trash or rinse down the drain. Save for a collection program. Let used turpentine or brush cleaner sit in a closed jar until paint particles set. Then pour off the clear liquid and reuse. Wrap settled particles and discard in the trash.
Paint removers Do not place in trash or rinse down the drain. Save for a collection program. Contains methylene chloride. Use adequate ventilation, use sparingly and keep lids tight on containers. Look for commercially produced nontoxic paint removers.
Wood preservatives Do not place in trash or rinse down the drain. Save for a collection program. No alternatives. Follow product instructions precisely. DO NOT use preservatives using pentachlorophenol, creosote or arsenic.
Adhesives and art paints Do not place in trash or rinse down the drain. Save for a collection program. Use nontoxic glues. Use adequate ventilation and exercise caution.
Paint

Use latex paint whenever possible. Donate leftovers to others. For unusable latex paint, remove lid and allow to solidify with proper ventilation. Replace lid and place in trash.

Save oil-based paints for a collection program.

Use latex or water-based paints.

 

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AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS

The chemicals they contain

Automotive products often contain hazardous organic compounds. Used motor oil and antifreeze also contain heavy metals such as lead and cadmium that are picked up during use.

The danger to human health

Accidental ingestion of gasoline, antifreeze, motor oil or kerosene is very dangerous. Antifreeze is a poison that attracts children and animals because it has a sweet taste. Many pets have died after ingesting as little as 2 tsp. of antifreeze from puddles on the ground. A small splash of battery acid can burn through skin or, if splashed in the eye, can cause irritation or even blindness. Depending on the concentrations inhaled and the length of exposure, inhalation of gasoline can cause injury ranging from minor nose and throat irritation is to nervous system disorders and even death.

The threat to the environment

More than half of the six million gallons of used motor oil that do-it-yourself oil changers generate in Massachusetts each year ends up being poured on the ground, dumped down a sewer or storm drain or tossed in the trash. Used motor oil contains petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals which can contaminate drinking water supplies and food chains and cause physical damage to aquatic life. Used motor oil that is poured into a sewer can also limit MWRA's ability to use sludge as fertilizer. Throughout the U.S., improperly discarded automotive batteries release tons of lead and sulfuric acid into the environment each year.

Automotive
Product Disposal Alternatives/safe use
Auto cleaning products Save for a collection program

No alternative. Follow directions precisely.

Auto fluids Save transmission fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze and coolants for a collection program. No alternative. Follow directions precisely.
Motor oil Return oil to place of purchase with a receipt. Some gas stations and stores will accept it without a receipt. Bring to a community collection center if available. Call your city or town to see if you have one.

No alternative. Follow directions precisely. Never mix with other fluids.

Gasoline and diesel fuel Storing at home is extremely dangerous. Use only containers made for this purpose.

No alternative. Follow directions precisely.

Car batteries Recyclable - trade them in. Visit the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection website or call (800) 343-3420 for more information. No alternative. Follow directions precisely.

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PESTICIDES

The chemicals they contain

Pesticides contain chemicals designed to kill. In most cases, the actual pesticide in a product amounts to less than 10% of the contents. The rest are inert ingredients that are often more toxic than the active chemicals. Nonetheless, federal law allows manufacturers to keep the identity of inert ingredients hidden as trade secrets.

The danger to human health

Pesticides are poisons and may cause serious damage to skin, eyes, the nervous and respiratory systems and internal organs. Some pesticides are much more hazardous than others and sever illness or death may result when only a small amount has been ingested.

The threat to the environment

Pesticides from home use can enter the environment through direct disposal in trash or sewers, runoff from the land into storm drains or nearby streams, drifting of spray mists, evaporation into the atmosphere or accidental spills. Pesticides seldom kill or repel only the intended species, and often resist decomposition. They can build up in plants and soil and in the organisms that eat those plants. They can sometimes work their way up the food chain, becoming more and more concentrated each step of the way. This process, known as "bio-magnification," causes the highest concentrations of contaminants to occur in organisms at the top of the food chain - such as humans.

Pesticides
Product Disposal Alternatives/safe use
Ant control

For all pesticides:

Never pour unused pesticides or herbicides down the drain or throw them in the trash.

Never remove labels or transfer the substance to another container.

Give unused portions, in their original containers, to someone who can use them. Otherwise, save for a collection day.

If all the pesticide in a container has been used, triple rinse the container and use the rinse water as pesticide Do not pour down the drain.

Many pesticides sold in the past have since been banned for your protection. If you have old chemicals on hand, of if you have any questions, visit the the Massachusetts State Pesticide Bureau website or call (617) 626-1700 before using or disposing of them.

Pour a line of cream of tartar, red chili powder, paprika, or dried peppermint leaves at point of entry.

Roach control

Place bay leaves around cracks in the room.

Set out a dish of equal parts of baking soda and powdered sugar or equal parts of oatmeal flour and plaster of paris or chopped bay leaves and cucumber skins, or crushed tobacco and water.

Garden control

Use organic gardening techniques, such as netting or companion planting to keep insects from plants. Standing water allows insects to breed.

Herbicides and fungicides

Pull weeds instead of using herbicides.

Cover garden with plastic in the fall to prevent weed germination. Plant disease-resistant seeds.

Insect spray

Blend 6 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 minced onion, 1 TBS dried hot pepper and 1 tsp. pure soap in 4 quarts of hot water. Let sit 1-2 days. Strain before using.

Or, place 1 cigarette in 1 quart water overnight. Strain and spray.

Snail and slug killer

Lay broken sea shells around plants to keep slugs away.

Fill a shallow dish with stale beer and place in the infested area.

Overturn clay pots and snail will seek shelter in them from the heat; collect and destroy.

Lay boards between rows of planted vegetables; snails will often attach themselves to the underside; collect and destroy.

Chemical fertilizers Use peat moss, compost or blood and fish meal or composted manure. Never use chemical fertilizers near a well or body of water.
Houseplant insecticide Wash leaves with soapy water then rinse.
Flea products

Give pets brewers yeast, garlic tablets or vitamin B as preventatives.

Herbal baths with fennel, rue or rosemary repel fleas.

Moth balls Use cedar chips, newspaper or dried lavender.

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AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS

The chemicals they contain

Automotive products often contain hazardous organic compounds. Used motor oil and antifreeze also contain heavy metals such as lead and cadmium that are picked up during use.

The danger to human health

Accidental ingestion of gasoline, antifreeze, motor oil or kerosene is very dangerous. Antifreeze is a poison that attracts children and animals because it has a sweet taste. Many pets have died after ingesting as little as 2 tsp. of antifreeze from puddles on the ground. A small splash of battery acid can burn through skin or, if splashed in the eye, can cause irritation or even blindness. Depending on the concentrations inhaled and the length of exposure, inhalation of gasoline can cause injury ranging from minor nose and throat irritations to nervous system disorders and even death.

The threat to the environment

More than half of the six million gallons of used motor oil that do-it-yourself oil changers generate in Massachusetts each year ends up being poured on the ground, dumped down a sewer or storm drain or tossed in the trash. Used motor oil contains petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals which can contaminate drinking water supplies and food chains and cause physical damage to aquatic life. Used motor oil that is poured into a sewer can also limit MWRA's ability to use sludge as fertilizer. Throughout the U.S., improperly discarded automotive batteries release tons of lead and sulfuric acid into the environment each year.

Automotive
Product Disposal Alternatives/safe use
Auto cleaning products Save for a collection program

No alternative. Follow directions precisely.

Auto fluids Save transmission fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze and coolants for a collection program. No alternative. Follow directions precisely.
Motor oil Return oil to place of purchase with a receipt. Some gas stations and stores will accept it without a receipt. Bring to a community collection center if available. Call your city or town to see if you have one.

No alternative. Follow directions precisely. Never mix with other fluids.

Gasoline and diesel fuel Storing at home is extremely dangerous. Use only containers made for this purpose.

No alternative. Follow directions precisely.

Car batteries Recyclable - trade them in. Visit the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection website or call (800) 343-3420 for more information. No alternative. Follow directions precisely.

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MISCELLANEOUS

The chemicals they contain

The miscellaneous items listed here involve a variety of different chemicals and perform different functions. Air fresheners may contain formaldehyde. Aerosol sprays produce mist particles that contain a high proportion of organic solvents. Pool acids are corrosive. Photographic chemicals may contain hydroquinone, which is corrosive, and silver, which is toxic to marine organisms.

The danger to human health

The organic solvents in aerosol sprays can be inhaled into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Because aerosols are kept in pressure in cans, they will explode if punctured or exposed to extreme heat. The corrosive element of pool chemicals may cause burns, can irritate skin, yes and the respiratory tract and may cause vomiting if ingested. Air fresheners work by deadening the nerves in your nose. They can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and skin.

The threat to the environment

Propellants used in some aerosols damage the earth's ozone layer. Solvents can be toxic to aquatic life, even at low concentration.

Miscellaneous
Product Disposal Alternatives/safe use
Aerosol sprays Only empty cans should be placed in the trash. NEVER place them in a trash compactor or fireplace. Save partially full cans for a collection program.

No alternative. Follow product instructions precisely. Look for non-aerosol substitutes, such as pump sprays.

Air fresheners Do not place in trash or rinse down drain. Save for a collection program.

Set out vinegar in an open dish.

Use an open box of baking soda in enclosed areas such as refrigerators and closets.

Add cloves and cinnamon or potpourri to boiling water and simmer, or use dried potpourri in sachets.

Scented candles do the trick, but beware of fire hazards.

Photographic chemicals Give unused chemicals in original containers to an institution that can use them. For more information, visit the Kodak website - available publications.

Provide adequate ventilation when mixing chemicals.

Buy only the amount you need.

Date mixed solutions and use until end of useful life. Follow product recommendations for proper storage to prolong useful life.

Smoke detectors Return to manufacturer. Collection programs may not accept them because they can contain radioactive chemicals.

No alternative. Follow directions precisely.

Pool acids and chlorine Donate leftover chemicals to others. NEVER pour them down the drain. Save unusable pool products for collection. No alternative. Follow directions precisely.

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For more information

For more information about hazardous waste disposal in Massachusetts, visit the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection website: http://www.mass.gov/dep/

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Revised 1992, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority