Hazardous waste is not only made in manufacturing plants, it can also be found at home under places the like the kitchen sink, the garage, the basement, or any place you store these products. Since every product you buy comes with labels, it’s a lot of work to read and keep track of which products contain industrial agents so we’ll go over the groups of products that are potentially dangerous.

Labelling and Garbage Collection

There are four types of dangerous agents that are present in products that are commonly found in households:

• Corrosive products eat away at certain materials; for example the acid in batteries can corrode your skin if exposed
• Flammable products can catch fire, which produces a risky situation for family members and your home
• Explosive products creates high speed debris that could potentially injure you or damage your possessions
• Poisons are harmful if consumed

Any product can fall under more than one of these categories, so watch out for the following warning signs that should be displayed on the labels:

Many municipalities won’t allow households to dispose of these items because of environmental and safety concerns. Services like Junk It! will help you sort through the dangerous materials and properly dispose of them so that you won’t have to expose yourself to the agents or deal with the ticky-tacky rules behind their removal.

Looking Through the Garage

Antifreeze and car batteries are obvious candidates for hazardous waste but the following are also potentially harmful:

• Brake fluid, like Prestone makes
• Motor oil, as in Mobil
• Windshield washer fluid
• Degreaser, as in WD-40

If you store your gardening supplies in the garage as well, then make sure that these products are properly sealed when not in use:

• Poisons for bugs, rodents, and other pests
• Fertilizers that aren’t homemade
• Chemical weed killers

Beauty Products Count Too

Most of these items don’t come with large symbols indicating how toxic or dangerous they can be, but that doesn’t change the fact that these items should not be ingested and must be stored in dark, cool places:

• Nail polish and remover
• Perfume
• Hair spray

Cleaning Agents

Almost anything stronger than soap is probably hazardous, which doesn’t mean that you should immediately switch over to organic materials. Responsible storage, use, and disposal will do the trick. If you’re moving and need to remove a bunch at once, call Junk It! for help.