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Flushing expired pharmaceuticals down the toilet. Pouring used motor oil in the storm drain. Tossing leftover paint into the trash. However it's done, it affects water, soil, plants, animals - and you.
A few chemical products in a single home don't seem like such a big deal, right? But when thousands of homes just like yours improperly dispose of similar products, it's a major problem. What's in your garage or under your kitchen sink can make its way into your drinking water. Ewww. |
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| Now that you've identified the HHW in your home, the next step is properly disposing of it. Here's how |
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| The average Kansas household generates 15 pounds of HHW annually. Does yours? Would you know it if it did? Household hazardous waste (HHW) is more than you think it is. |
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| Think pool chemicals, used motor oil and fingernail polish remover are harmless? Think again. They're all household hazardous wastes (HHW), and the name indicates the danger they pose. But as dangerous as these materials are |
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| You are what you eat. If plants and livestock feed on contaminated soil and water, you will, too. Sounds scary, doesn't it? It is. Toxic compounds enter the environment in many ways. |
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| C'mon! With just a small effort, you can make a big difference for Kansans. We all like to feel like we're making a difference. The good news: it's not just a feeling - we are making |
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| What is HHW, anyway? It's just what it sounds like. Hazardous materials are unregulated under federal and state laws because of the limited quantities produced by households. |
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| Do you have HHW in your home? Chances are you have more than you think. |
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| Vinegar and water is a great window cleaner (cheaper, too!). When you think about it, the number of chemical products in your home will surprise you. And the fact is |
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| For the statistician in you. |
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© copyright 2001
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
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Every day, American families produce an estimated 4 million pounds of HHW.
Enough hazardous waste is generated in one year in the U.S. to fill the New Orleans Superdome 1,500 times.
Annually in the U.S., 180 million gallons of motor oil are improperly disposed of in streams, sewers or on the ground - the equivalent of 16 Exxon Valdez oil spills.
If just 1% of U.S. families cut their hazardous waste in half, we'd keep 7.3 million pounds of HHW out of our landfills and waterways each year.
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