Special Collection Events

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What is HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE (HHW)?

Household hazardous waste (HHW) includes any discarded household product that may be:

• Toxic

• Corrosive

• Explosive

• Flammable

Look for terms such as "warning" and "danger" on the label to determine if an item is considered hazardous. Potential public health and environmental problems can result from inappropriate disposal of such wastes (dumping on the ground or into bodies of water). Consumers use these items because they are convenient and work effectively.

HHW consists of the same types of waste generated by industry, but households generate more hazardous wastes than all industries combined. The household hazardous waste collection program offers a chance for residents to properly dispose of potentially harmful wastes stored in basements, garages, and storage areas.

Examples of Household Hazardous Waste

The items listed in the accompanying table are a few examples of HHW:

Hobby Chemicals Solvents Household Cleaners Metal Polishes Prescription Drugs Drain Cleaner Paint Removers Herbicides Furniture Stripper Fertilizers Oven Cleaner Paint Thinner Oil Based Paint

Fungicides Aerosol Products Used Motor Oil Antifreeze Old Gasoline Pool Chemicals Brake Fluid Wood Preservatives Wood Stain Asphalt Sealer Flea Powder Transmission Fluid Pesticides

Avoiding HHW

HHW can be avoided by buying safer, less hazardous household products. Many environmentally safe cleaners and detergents are now available for household use. If safer products are not available, buy only as much as you need.

 

• Be creative

• Ask for assistance when calculating how much to buy for certain projects

• Purchase safer alternative products

 

Hazardous Product	Alternatives
Some Oven Cleaners	Use products that don't contain lye.
Scouring Powders with Bleaching Agents	Baking soda, soap and water.
Chemical Drain Cleaners	Plungers, snakes or hose-end bladders. To prevent clogs, pour boiling water down slow drains or use enzyme products to break down grease and soap deposits.
Toilet Bowl Cleaners	Baking soda and castile soap or non-chlorine scouring powder.
Pesticides	Soap and water or antiseptic mouthwash solutions applied directly to infested areas, wrap teflon tape around base of stems to prevent stem-boring infestation.

 

Environmental Impacts

Improper disposal of household hazardous wastes causes problems for the entire community. (i.e., land, surface waters and groundwater is contaminated.)

Pouring HHW down the drain or putting them in the garbage are the two worst ways to get rid of it.

Water treatment plants are not designed to properly treat HHW that enters the facility.

Sewers have exploded and garbage trucks have burned because of carelessly discarded HHW.

Nationally, do-it-yourself oil changers annually spill nine times more oil than was spilled in the Valdez, Alaska disaster.

Some wastes are poisonous to humans or wildlife, while exposure to others can cause cancer, birth defects and other serious medical problems.

 

Properly Managing HHW

• Buy only what you need

• Try to use up products

• Use less toxic alternatives

• Bring your HHW to a Collection Event

What Can be Done With HHW?

Materials collected at one-day events or permanent HHW facilities are managed in a variety of ways, including:

• Fuel Blending - Approximately 75% of the collected wastes are blended with virgin fuels to be used as an alternative fuel source for industry.

• Incineration - Approximately 15% of the wastes are destroyed by high-temperature incineration.

• Hazardous Waste Landfills - Approximately 1% of wastes are placed in hazardous waste landfills which are highly regulated and continuously monitored.

• Recycling - Paint cans, aerosol cans, lead-acid batteries, mercury and some solvents are recycled for reuse.

For further information about various waste disposal alternatives or to receive a copy of the Will County Waste and Recycling Pages, call the Will County Resource Recovery & Energy Division at: (815) 727-8834.

 

Services Available to Will County Residents

• Permanent HHW Site
  A permanent HHW Collection Facility is located in Naperville at Fire Station Number Four 1971 Brookdale Road. Visit the Collection Site's informational website for further details.

• One-Day Collection Events.
  Will County and Waste Management, Inc. will provide three to four HHW collection events annually at convenient locations throughout the County. These free collection events allow residents of the County to safely dispose of HHW that they may have accumulated. Participants at these collection events will be provided with information regarding HHW

• Other Assistance.
  Will County also provides application assistance to interested parties wishing to host an HHW collection event co-sponsored by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Again, these HHW collection events are free. However, Will County competes with other areas of the State to host these events.

Personnel from the Resource Recovery & Energy Division are also available to provide technical assistance to residents and businesses regarding the generation, management, and disposal of hazardous substances. Anyone with questions regarding this service should call the Resource Recovery & Energy Division.

Lastly, the Resource Recovery & Energy Division maintains a comprehensive list of disposal options for other types of waste items, such as white goods (or appliances), lead-acid batteries, tires, and other hard to dispose of items.

If you have any questions regarding the various types of services offered, please contact the Resource Recovery & Energy Division.

The above-mentioned products and signal words are not an exclusive list, and individuals should make sure that they exercise caution around all products.  Individuals should read all labels carefully to ascertain whether the product is hazardous.  Further, the disposal remedies listed above may not work in every instance depending on the type of hazardous waste involved and application of product.  The Will County Land Use Department, Resource Recovery & Energy Division is not responsible for any misuse or product or application.  Finally, the Will County Land Use Department, Resource Recovery & Energy Division is not responsible for any injuries resulting from the handling, use, storage or disposal of any hazardous waste products.