Special Waste Disposals

No too many years ago, after you changed your oil, some folks threw the used oil in the driveway to keep down dust and dirt. Everything that you were done with got thrown in to the garbage can at the curb and then hauled off to the local landfill. But as we have become more aware of how we impact the environment, things have changed.

Oil dumped on your driveway might end up in the groundwater and stuff headed for the landfill needs to be minimized and properly processed. Lithium batteries and mercury from compact fluorescent light bulbs can pollute the groundwater. Medical waste can pose a health hazard and tires are breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes. It's not just the environment at stake. Proper waste disposal is important for human health too.

Tires

Previously old tires were made into tire swings or left lying around the yard. Now, proper tire disposal involves environmental fees and shredding or incineration because tires and other objects that collect water are perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

In addition to the itch, mosquito bites potentially carry everything from malaria to West Nile virus. To keep you family and pets safe, make sure they are properly disposed of and that doesn't mean in your local trash dumpster. Take tires to a recycling center or arrange for pickup.

Lithium batteries and compact fluorescent light bulbs

Sometimes the things we do in the name of saving the environment can also be hazardous to it. Lithium batteries, used in everything from your cell phone and laptop to cameras and cars, allowed us to save space and pack much more energy into the smaller space. But lithium can leach out of the batteries and pose a threat to the ground water.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, sometimes called CFLs, contain mercury. The greatest threat from CFLs is when they break. The mercury gas can become airborne and in an enclosed space, lead to mercury poisoning to those who breathe it in. In your trash, mercury from the bulbs can leach off into the groundwater, contaminating the water and nearby fish and wildlife. Pregnant women are cautioned against eating too much fish because of the possibility of mercury poisoning.

Old electronics, chemicals, paint, and old prescriptions are among the hazards that most people don't think twice about when disposing of, but the really is that water from the local landfills does eventually rejoin the local groundwater and create a potential hazard for people who drink water.

Waste disposal and recycling is an important thing we shall do and only this can we help our mother earth out of pollution and resource shortage. 

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