There are standard household items that may contain hazardous materials that are not safe to dispose of in the usual household garbage. The reason is due to their harmful properties. Not everything goes to the household garbage, and everyone in the house should keep this in mind. Some of these things have instructions on how to dispose of safely, but if you are not sure of how to dispose of an item, you should consult Wake County Government Environmental Services Office webpage to be on the safe side. Don’t take a risk knowing whatever you are disposing of might cause harm to others.
Some of the items you shouldn’t just dispose of with the normal household garbage include:-
Batteries
All batteries should have their terminals or exposed metal parts of lithium taped with clear plastic tape. The rechargeable batteries include
- Lead acid gel. Used in wheelchairs, golf carts and sometimes toys.
- Lithium-ion. Used in handheld devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and others.
- Nickel Cadmium. Power tools, medical equipment, and computers have these.
- Nickel Metal Hydride- These are found in rechargeable household batteries such as poly wrapped cell packs, AAA, AA, C, 9 and 12-volt packs, etc.
The non-rechargeable batteries include:
- Carbon Zinc and Alkaline – household batteries such as button cells, AAA, AA, etc.
- Silver Oxide – these are found in cameras and hearing aids.
- Zinc Air – watches, hearing aid, etc.
- Vehicle batteries found in automobiles like boats, outdoor power equipment, motorcycles, and boats contain lead acid, and they should also be disposed of properly. All retailers of lead-acid batteries are required to accept old batteries in exchange for new ones.
Latex paint (can be limited per customer)
Flammables. These include kerosene, lighter fluid, fuel oil, and gasoline. For these, put them in a sealed container that you are willing to leave at the site of disposal.
Other acceptable items include:
- Poisons
- Solvents
- Fluorescent light bulbs both tubes and compact
- Oil-based paints
- Thinners
- Stains
- Finishes
- Pesticides
- Mercury thermometers
- Wood preservatives
- Propane Tanks
There are other items which cannot be disposed of by just anyone without approval from law enforcement like ammunition.
Radioactive materials, hoverboards, medical and other infectious waste should not be disposed of without consulting law enforcement or other government branches responsible for safe disposal of these items. Things like smoke detectors also contain small amounts of radioactive materials so they should not be destroyed or disposed of, but they should be taken back to the manufacturer or contact the NC Radiation Protection.
Be informed and do extensive research before you go ahead and dispose of some items in your house.
For more information on disposing of hazardous items you can contact McJunk at 919-850-4377.