PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY DREW HARMON / The Edmond Sun
Most places probably have a place where you can properly dispose of hazardous waste without dumping it in your trash. If you live in Edmond, OK, there is a free household hazardous waste collection day this saturday (April 6, 2009) from 8am to noon at the University of Central Oklahoma campus. Items that can disposed of include: telvisions, computer supplies, VCR and DVD players, microwaves, typewriters, camcorders and cameras.
Other hazardous waste materials that may be accepted at this site include cleaning supplies, painting supplies, indoor home supplies, garden supplies, automotive fluids, home and car batteries, hobby supplies, and florescent lamps.
Most landfills now have liners and leachate collection systems that prevent leakage of hazardous materials into groundwater. Putting your hazardous waste into the trash is still a better alternative to dumping your waste someplace where it does not end up in the landfill. The purpose of these hazardous collection sites is to ensure that hazardous waste is disposed of properly.
If you can find a place to properly dispose of your hazardous materials, please do it. If not, placing your computer in the trash is still an EPA-approved method of collection. Do not drive your trash to some remote location and dump it. Then the lead, mercury, and other toxic materials will not be properly contained. Many of these contaminants are damaging to your nervous system and may even cause cancer.
If your electronics are still functional or you have excess paint from a project for example, post a listing on a re-use group or Craigslist. Give someone else the opportunity to use or re-use it.
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