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Household hazardous waste

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April 11, 2005

Household hazardous waste (HHW) can be found in many homes and garages. Items that are considered hazardous are called this because they are either flammable, toxic, corrosive or an irritant. While these products are not always lethal, they can be harmful to the environment and ourselves. I would like to offer some safe alternatives to HHW so that when it comes time to dispose of your products, you won't have to wait in line at a public works garage.

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Oven cleaner is a great product to replace because it has harmful fumes as well as being corrosive. If you use baking soda and water with a scouring pad, you can accomplish the same results. Other people recommend using foil or a cookie pan to catch spills as well. I would say go for the cookie pan and clean it later to avoid the disposable foil. Drain cleaner is another HHW item. A great alternative to drain cleaner is vinegar and baking soda. If your pour the baking soda in first and then the vinegar, the bubbling reaction (just like volcano science fair projects) will come up to the top of the drain and you can grab the blockage. Afterwards, rinse with warm to hot water.

There are several lines of environmentally friendly products available at places like Target and Hannafords. They offer many products from dishwasher detergent, to surface cleaner and laundry detergent. It's always best to avoid purchasing hazardous items so that you don't have to worry about disposing of them later, but if you do, here are some dates that are available to Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough and Saco residents.

Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough and Saco have joined forces so that there are more HHW drop off days available to the public. There will be three different dates in three different towns, and the residents from all four municipalities are welcome at each event. The dates are:

• May 7th at Scarborough Public Works, 20 Washington Ave., Scarborough
• July 23rd at Biddeford Public Works, 371 Hill St., Biddeford
• October 22nd at Saco Public Works, 351 North St., Saco

Each event will be held from 8 A.M. to noon. Please remember to bring proof of residency, such as a driver's license or tax bill. The cost for attending is... nothing, so be sure to take advantage of these dates. Bring your items in their original containers when possible and place these containers in a cardboard box in your car or truck to prevent spills.

I hope this information is helpful, be on the look out for the ads for these drop off days, this information will be posted online as well as at City Hall and some cable access channels as well. Please contact me if you have any questions via email at swojcoski@sacomaine.org or at the Public Works Office at 282-1552. The process of recycling starts at the store!