Other Ways You Can Help

Household Solutions
Follow and share these tips for reducing, recycling, and disposing of different types of hazardous materials in your home.

Remember that fertilizers, pesticides, oil and other pollutants from your yard and driveway can be washed into a storm drain and carried to a nearby stream or lake.

Automobile
  • Never dump vehicle fluids on pavement, the ground or down the storm drain. Collect and recycle motor oil, oil filters and other automobile fluids at vehicle service centers or parts stores listed on 1-800-CLEANUP.
  • Wash your vehicle at a professional car wash facility. This way the wastewater will be treated instead of possibly becoming a pollutant in a nearby stream. If you decide to wash your car at home, use a low or non-phosphate soap and wash your vehicle in a grassy area instead of on pavement.
  • Regularly tune your car and fix leaks.
Batteries & Mercury Containing Products
  • Use rechargeable batteries instead of alkaline disposables. Recycle rechargeable batteries at the sites listed on 1-800-8BATTERY (1-800-822-8837).
  • Buy digital thermometers instead of mercury thermometers.
  • Replace a mercury thermostat with a programmable, digital thermometer.
Limiting Hazards from Your Household
  • Purchase non-hazardous or the least hazardous products for the job. As a general rule, a product with "CAUTION" on the label will be less hazardous than a product labeled "WARNING". The most potentially hazardous product is labeled "DANGER" or "POISON".
  • Don't be tempted by a "buy 1 get 1 free" deal. It will probably result in having to manage twice as much hazardous waste.
Lawn Care
  • Use electric-powered lawn equipment instead of gas-powered whenever possible.
  • Use pesticides and herbicides sparingly and only when all else fails.
  • Plant native plants since they can survive without extra fertilizers, pesticides and water.
  • Pull weeds by hand or with a weeding tool.