First You Use'em, Then You Lose'em

First You Use'em, Then You Lose'em

Many household products contain hazardous chemicals that, if not discarded properly, can do lasting harm to the environment. Here's how to dispose of them and some homemade alternatives that you can use the next time around.

Household chemicals

Corrosive, irritant, contains trisodiumphosphate, ammonia, and ethanol.

Disposal: Rinse container thoroughly, then it may be sent to landfill; also check with water treatment plants – certain bacteria may detoxify the material.

Alternatives: Use baking soda or borax, or rub area with half a lemon dipped in borax (toxic to children and pets).

Ammonia-based cleaner

Corrosive, irritant, contains ammonia and ethanol.

Disposal: Same as abrasive cleaning powder.

Alternatives : Use undiluted white vinegar in a spray bottle.

Bleach Cleaner

Corrosive, contains sodium or potassium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, sodium or calcium hypochlorite.

Alternatives : For laundry, use ½ cup white vinegar, baking soda, or borax per load.

Transportation Authority. Photo by Elena.

Disinfectant

Corrosive, contains diethylene or methylene glycol, sodium hypoclorite, and phenols.

Disposal: If products are fully used and rinsed, and no waste remains in container, it may go to landfill, if necessary.

Alternatives: Mix ½ cup borax with 1 gal., boiling water. Not a disinfectant, however.

Drain cleaner

Corrosive, contains sodium or potassium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid, and petroleum distillates.

Disposal: Store until community organizes hazardous waste program.

Alternative: Pour in ½ cup baking soda followed by ½ cub vinagar; let set for 15 minutes, follow with boiling water; snake or plunger.

Furniture polish

Flammable, contains diethylene, glycol, pettrolium distillates, and nitrobenzne.

Disposal: Same as drain cleaners.

Alternatives: Mix 3 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar. For water stains, use toothpaste on damp cloth.

Household battery

Contains mercury, zinc, silver, lithium, and cadmium.

Disposal: Recycle your waste, bring to a gas station or reclamation center.

Alternatives: Solar power, wind-up watches, rechargeables (may contain toxic heavy metals).

Mothballs

Contain naphtalenes and paradischlorobenzene.

Disposal: Same as abrasive cleaning powder.

Alternatives: Cedar chips or blocks; clean clothes well, put in air-tight storage bag.

Oven cleaner

Corrosive, contains potassium or sodium hydroxide, and ammonia.

Disposal: If products are fully used and rinsed, and no waste remains in container, it may go to landfill, if necessary.

Alternatives: Let mixture of 2 tbs, castile soap, 2 tsp. Borax, and 2 cups water set in oven for 20 minutes; scrub with baking soda and salt.

Photographic chemicals

Corrosive, irritant, contain silver, acetic acid, hydroquinone, sodium sulfite.

Disposal: Should be safely stored until community organizes a hazardous waste program.

Alternative: Unknown.

Pool chemicals

Corrosive, contain muriatic acid, sodium hypochlorite, and algicide.

Disposal: Rinse container thoroughly and it may be sent to landfill; check with water treatment plants, as certain bacteria may detoxify the material.

Alternatives: Disinfectants: Ozone or UV-light system. PH: Consult baking soda box for amount to add for proper pH.

Rug and upholstery cleaner

Corrosive, contains naphtalene, perchloroethylene, oxalic acid, diethylene, and glycol.

Disposal: Store until community organizes a hazardous waste program.

Alternatives: Clean immediately with soda paste, then vacuum.

Toilet bowl cleaner

Corrosive, irritant, contains muriatic (hydrochloric) or oxalic acid, paradichlorobenzene, and calcium hypochlorite.

Disposal: Same as oven cleaner.

Alternatives: Coat bowl with paste of lemon juice and borax (toxic to children), let set, then scrub.

Soho, New York. Photo by Elena.

Paints

Enamel or oil-based paint

Flammable, toxic. Contains aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, some pigments.

Alternatives: Latex or water-based paints.

Disposal: Recycle wastes by bringing to service station or reclamation center.

Latex or water-based paint

May be toxic. Contains ethylene, glycol, glycol ethers, phenyl mercuric acetate, some pigments, resins.

Disposal: Waste can be disposed of at some wastewater treatment plants where bacteria can detoxify the chemical, also may be recycled.

Alternatives: Latex without the above ingredients or limestone-based (white-wash) paint.

Rust-proofing coating

Flammable, toxic. Contains methylene chloride, petroleum distillates, toluene, xylene, some pigments.

Disposal: Should be safely stored until community organizes a hazardous waste program.

Alternatives: Unknown.

Thinners, turpentine

Toxic, flammable. Contain alcohol, acetone, esters, ketones, turpentine, petroleum distillates.

Disposal: Check for disposal at local water treatment plants.

Alternatives: Use water in water-based paints.

Paint and varnish remover

Flammable, toxic. Contains acetone, ketones, alcohol, xylene, toluene, methylene, chloride.

Disposal: Wastes should be safely stored until community organizes hazardous waste program.

Alternatives: For lead-free paint, use sandpaper or scraper and heat gun.

Wood preservative

Flammable, toxic. Contains copper or zinc naphtenate, creosote, magnesium cluorosilicate, petroleum distilates, chlorinated phenols (PCP).

Disposal: Wastes should be safely stored until community organizes hazardous waste program.

Alternatives: Use water-based wood preservative. (May still contain some of the above ingredients).

Stain and varnish

Flammable, toxic. Contains mineral spirits, gylcol ethers, ketones, toluene, xylene.

Disposal: Wastes should be safely stored until community organizes a hazardous waste program.

Alternatives: Use latex or water-based finishes.