Household Hazardous Waste
Special Wastes

White Goods --- Propane Cylinders --- Electronics --- Mercury added prods --- Smoke Detectors --- Pharmaceuticals

Uses:
On a fall Sunday afternoon, many Americans will turn on their televisions to watch the football game. Often times they will reach into the refrigerator or freezer, than fire up the gas grill for a quick and easy meal.

After the game and before going to bed they might turn down the thermostat to avoid excess heating costs. All of these actions involve products, which when disposed of, are classified under the category of special wastes.

This category of special wastes includes consumer electronics, propane tanks, white goods, mercury-added products, and smoke detectors. These products can be hazardous to human health and the environment if they are not disposed of properly.

Hazards:

The main hazardous component inside televisions and computers is the cathode ray tube (CRT). According to the Electronics Industries Alliance, from 1995 to 2000, the average CRT contained approximately 4 to 8 pounds of lead in the glass. Lead can cause nerve damage and developmental problems to humans, particularly young children and fetuses. In addition, TV’s and computers contain cadmium, hexavalent chromium and other potential heavy metal carcinogens and toxins.

In refrigerators, the main hazardous components are the CFC gases that are used to cool the refrigerators. These can cause damage to the ozone layer if they are leaked into the atmosphere, when the refrigerator is recycled.

Propane cylinders are hazardous because they contain pressurized gas, making them explosive and very dangerous to waste handlers. Many of the older tanks have become obsolete due to the requirement of a mandatory overfill valve on all refillable tanks after April 1, 2002.

Some thermostats contain the hazardous metal mercury. Mercury is used in many products because it is a liquid at room temperature and conducts electricity. Mercury is toxic and bioaccumulates in humans and the environment.

Some smoke detectors contain low-level radioactive material, which can be toxic to humans and the environment.

Disposal: