Why don common disposal methods work for hazardous household waste?
Most people dispose of hazardous products by throwing them in the trash, pouring them down the drain, burning them, pouring them in a ditch, dumping them on a vacant lot or burying them in a field. These practices are dangerous. Waste from hazardous household products can contaminate lakes, rivers, streams and the groundwater (the places below the ground where water accumulates before it goes to a river, stream or well). This can create serious problems for North Carolinians. Why? Because 55% of all residents and 97% of the state’s rural residents rely on ground water as a source of drinking water. Often only a small amount of a hazardous material can cause serious problems. It only takes one gallon of oil to ruin one million gallons of water. What shouldn’t we do? • Don’t throw it in the garbage. Much of the residential trash is collected door-to-door by private companies or is taken to drop-off centers by individuals. Ultimately the trash is taken to a county landfill. Most landfills
