According to the US Government, the average household contributes 20 pounds of hazardous waste per year.  We are so quick to blame “big business” and yet when you put it all together our neighborhood alone, if that average is correct, (I would guess in our more affluent area, we might be adding more than the average)

Stillwater could possibly be contributing to the hazardous waste arena, approximately  11,000 lbs of hazardous waste into our landfills each year.   I would make a guess to say, not because we didn’t care, but just because we didn’t know that these regular items are hazardous.

Most of us certainly would not   consider our everyday trash  “hazardous”, however, if you happen to throw away household batteries, or light-bulbs into the trash, you’ve added to the hazardous waste “toxic  brew” of chemicals that are leaching into our soil, and ultimately into our water supply.

Here is a list of what is considered Hazardous:

Oil based paints, paint thinners, herbicides, Insecticides, Pesticides, Old Gasoline, Pool Chemicals, Household Cleaning Products, Household batteries, mercury, used motor oil, Drain Cleaners,  Lawn chemicals, Solvents, Anti-freeze, hobby chemicals, aerosol paints, CFL Florescent lights – they contain mercury  NOTE:  This includes their containers as well.

Here is what we can do;

Have a special place for old battery collection, set aside a box to throw away florescent lights, Please don’t dump unwanted solvents or cleaners down the drain or into our water supply.  The City of Naperville has provided a place for us to dispose of our hazardous waste items.

Fire Station #4
1971 Brookdale Rd ( near Rte 59)
Naperville, Il
Weekends ONLY
Sat  & Sun 9AM-3PM

Latex Paints, Electonic items will be talked about in another  future issues.  These need to be handled in totally different ways.   In the mean time, make a family project to collect all hazardous waste and dispose of them properly.

“Let’s all Give a Hoot and Don’t Pollute”