How to Recycle Household Hazards
Safe Disposal of Batteries, Lightbulbs, Cell Phones, Smoke Detectors
Tips for keeping potentially hazardous household waste out of landfills to protect the environment.
The average household in the developed world has lots of electronic devices, which means lots of batteries, lightbulbs, cellphones, smoke detectors and more. While all these devices can make life more convenient, even pleasant, they also contain substances that can be toxic to people, animals and the environment in general.
So when the time comes to replace a used-up device in your home, be sure you get rid of it in the most eco-friendly manner possible. Recycling is usually the best choice, and there are more recyclers to choose from now than ever before.
Following are some common household items you might want to recycle instead of sending to a landfill:
- Batteries. Standard batteries contain lots of heavy metals, including mercury, that are bad for the environment. In fact, in some municipalities and states, it's illegal to dispose of batteries in regular trash. Fortunately, a number of recycling options are available, including AERC Recycling, the retailer Batteries Plus and Battery Solutions Inc. Battery manufacturer Energizer also provides resources for safe battery disposal on its website.
- Rechargeable batteries can be recycled in various ways, too. Check out Call2Recycle, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Earth911.org. Retailers like RadioShack and Office Depot also accept some rechargeable batteries for recycling.
- Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). While CFLs are more energy-efficient and can last longer than standard incandescent lightbulbs, they do have a down side: each bulb contains a small amount of mercury that poses potential health and environmental hazards. If you do break a CFL at home, be sure to follow these cleanup recommendations from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And when a CFL burns out, try to recycle it instead of throwing it away in the trash. You can learn more at LampRecycle.org or find a list of CFL recyclers in the U.S. and Canada here.
- Cellphones and PDAs. CollectiveGood.com lets you safely get rid of old mobile devices and help others as well. The organization recycles and passes along used cellphones, pagers and PDAs to a variety of charity organizations that can use them in places of need around the world.
- Printer cartridges. CollectInc.com recycles used printer cartridges, which reduces manufacturing costs, environmental waste and needless consumption of new resources.
- Smoke detectors. A common type of smoke detector (ionization smoke detector) contains a small amount of the radioactive element Americium-241. If you use the detector properly and don't open it, there's no hazard to humans, according to the US EPA. However, when it's time to replace your detector, be sure you dispose of it safely by sending it back to the original manufacturer. Check the maker's Website or call the company for detailed instructions before mailing back your detector.
Finally, remember these words of advice: when in doubt, don't throw it doubt. Instead, check with the manufacturer or the store where you bought the item to see whether there's a way to recycle or safely dispose of your electronics and other potential waste hazards. Or call your municipality, county or other local government agency to find out whether they can direct you to an appropriate recycling program.
