In its pristine condition, that now empty pizza box on your table is fine for recycling. However, once contaminated with grease, it has nowhere to go but the trash bin, as it is impossible to extract the grease from paper fibers, explains Grease-Cycle.com. The same thing goes with other generally recognized non-recyclable items such as plastic bubble wraps and Styrofoam food boxes.
While we are these days more aware of the importance of recycling and quite a number of us have joined the movement, there remains a lot of us who may be clueless about doing it properly.
Hazardous Waste
Often in our consumer-based society, if we’re not simply replacing a broken or outdated item, we purchase new versions of products, thinking that the new items are better or more efficient. But, what may not have crossed your mind is the question of whether the items you are disposing of are potentially dangerous or not and if they should just be dumped into a regular trash bin.
You may be shocked to know that these potentially dangerous products may be found all over your house. Nearly all of your electronics have a host of hazardous pieces such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and arsenic – items that are harmful to people and environmental health. Thus, a great deal of thought and care must be put into the disposal of many of our old items. While most of the things at home can be safely recycled if taken to the right recycling places, they should definitely not be thrown into the bin.
Chemicals
Our households are full of chemicals that should never go into the trash, as they need to be treated correctly and often with extreme care. We use a range of cleaning products, bleaches, and detergents, pesticides, and solvents, along with many corrosive substances, which are thrown in the trash can end up in a landfill, subsequently contaminating our waterways and the ground. Batteries, from the very small to larger ones such as car batteries, are full of acids and dangerous metals, which can be efficiently recycled. If thrown out as trash, they are often incinerated, releasing dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere. Your old fridge uses a refrigerant, which needs to be professionally dealt with rather than just being chucked out on the street with your other trash.
Building Materials
Older properties may contain dangerous materials such as asbestos, commonly used as a supposedly safe and fireproof building product. Removal and disposal of such require professional help and should never, ever be thrown into the bin. Fortunately for Queenslanders, there is a Sunshine Coast skip bin hire service you can rely on to help you deal with such a problem safely.
Medical Waste
Many households have various medicines that accumulate over the years, and when you have a spring clean, it may seem like a simple solution to throw it in the trash. Medications contain various chemicals, many of which can be hazardous if they find their way into the groundwater and soil. Other medical waste such as needles and sharps should also never be thrown in the bin, containing as they do, bacteria and diseases.
Check First
Whatever you are throwing out needs to be disposed of correctly, and with the benefit of Google and the Internet, it isn’t that difficult to find out what needs special attention and what doesn’t. Your decisions can impact not only our environment but the safety of those working in the refuse industry.
