Why Dispose of Household Hazardous Materials (HHMS) Properly, Iowa DNR

Household hazardous materials make our chores and projects easier, but they require special care, especially when you may have unused or unwanted materials. Proper disposal helps keep you and your family safe, and protects our environment.

Household hazardous materials, or HHMs, are not regular trash. That's because they contain harmful chemicals. These chemicals can create unsafe or unhealthy conditions when they are not disposed of properly. Improper disposal of HHMs can contaminate our land and water resources.

Improper disposal of HHMs can lead to direct contamination of our water resources. Chemicals dumped on the ground, a driveway or lawn may flow directly down a storm sewer into creeks, streams or lakes where they can poison fish, frogs, and other aquatic life.

If HHM's are dumped down a toilet, sink, tub or basement floor drain, they can still end up contaminating our water resources. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove the many kinds of hazardous chemicals found in HHMs. Hazardous materials mixed together in sewers can create toxic vapors or gases, and can lead to explosions.

Throwing household hazardous materials out with your regular trash may also endanger the health and safety of collection workers. HHMs thrown in the trash have caused garbage truck fires, the buildup of harmful vapors inside trucks, and the corrosion of equipment. Worker health and safety may be at risk. They may inhale toxic vapors formed when household hazardous materials are mixed together.

When you dispose of household hazardous materials properly, good things happen; you keep your family safe and protect your environment. Proper disposal means scheduling an appointment and taking your unwanted or unneeded HHMs to your local Regional Collection Center or RCC. At the RCC, hazardous materials are sorted, processed, packaged and sealed. They're then shipped for recycling or final disposal. Some materials will be reblended for use as fuel. Flammable substances may be used in energy recovery operations. Acidic or base materials will be neutralized. Some materials, like poisons, will be sent to specialized landfills where they can be handled properly. Even packaging used in the shipment of the hazardous materials can be recycled.

So make a difference, treat your unused or unwanted household hazardous materials with special care. Properly dispose of them at your local regional collection center.

To learn more, visit SafeSmartSolutions.org. When we change our ways, we change our world.

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