Environmental Law Blog

Did you know that every time you clean the bathroom, you are using a cleaning product that may be a Household Hazardous Waste under the Missouri Solid Waste Management and Hazardous Waste Management Laws?

Well, you are! But, don't worry because you probably haven't violated either the Solid Waste or Hazardous Waste Management Laws. Many common household cleaning, painting, gardening, and lawn care products can be dangerous if handled improperly. When you discard these common products, the remaining contents become Household Hazardous Wastes.

Household Hazardous Wastes generated from a single family dwelling can be legally disposed in your trash; however, you should try to dispose of large quantities of Household Hazardous Wastes or especially dangerous Household Hazardous Wastes at a collection event or facility. A list of community collection events throughout Missouri can be found on the Missouri Department of Natural Resource's web site. And, a list of permanent collection sites can be found there as well.

Some common household products are more dangerous than others. These products include used motor oil, waste tires, and lead-acid (car) batteries. Used motor oil and lead-acid batteries must be disposed at a permitted recycling facility. Waste tires must be shredded before landfill disposal, or they can be turned over to an energy recovery operation.

In addition, some forms of common household waste cannot be disposed in a landfill. For example, yard waste cannot be disposed at a landfill and must be deposited at a composting facility. This may seem like a strange exemption, but Missouri does not consider yard waste to be a good use of landfill space due to the large quantities of waste generated by the average household. Household appliances cannot be deposited in a landfill and must be recycled at a scrap yard or appliance repairman.

The most important thing to remember when handling Household Hazardous Wastes is that qualifying products pose a threat to your health and the environment. Please handle -- and disopose of -- them responsibly.