Recycling Hazardous Materials Responsibly

Carefully Dispose of Unused Meds
Few people use all the pills in their medicine cabinet before they expire. Do a cleanout of yours twice a year. If the drug label has specific disposal instructions, follow those. If not, the FDA strongly advises against flushing drugs down the toilet. Instead, they recommend participating in community drug take-back programs, which allow you to bring your unused medicines to a central location.
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The Drug Enforcement Administration also sponsors National Prescription Drug Take Back Days throughout the year. If you can’t make it to an event, remove drugs from their original containers, remove any personally identifying information, and mix them with an undesirable substance such as coffee grounds and kitty litter before putting in the trash. This way, the medication is unrecognizable to anyone who may rummage through your trash.
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Use Your Old Cellphone to Give Back
Most cell phone providers will take back your old cell phones, advises professional organizer Allison Flinn. You can check this list to see if you can drop them off in-store or mail them in. Or do one better and donate your cell to a charitable cause.

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Verizon Wireless sponsors a program called HopeLine, which gives used cell phones to survivors of domestic violence. You can also donate your phone to Cell Phones for Soldiers, which helps active duty military members and veterans call home for free.

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Do a Cosmetic Cleanout — and Get a Bonus
Just like crazy makeup trends, makeup itself has a shelf life. The average lifespan for cosmetics is 1 to 2 years, depending on the product. But many cosmetics can be recycled, according to The Daily Green, because cosmetic containers are usually made from plastic similar to those found in bottle caps and yogurt cups.

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Not enough people know that, so they’re often left out of regular household recycling. Some stores will even reward you for the effort. Origins retail stores, for example, accept empty cosmetic tubs, bottles, and jars for recycling -- even if the product isn’t from Origins! 

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As a reward, you’ll get a free sample of a skincare product in return. M.A.C runs the Back to M.A.C program, which accepts M.A.C product containers at any of its counters, and you get a free lipstick for your contribution. There’s also Aveda, which accepts twist-on and flip-top caps from shampoo, water, soda and other beverage bottles.

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Treat Batteries Based on Their Type
Americans throw out almost 180,000 tons of batteries each year, according to Earth911, a nonprofit recycling organization. About 14,000 of these are rechargeable batteries, which save waste and can be safely recycled. Check out Call2Recycle, the only free rechargeable battery and cell phone collection program in North America.

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Since 1996, the group has diverted more than 70 million pounds of rechargeable batteries from the solid waste stream. As for single-use batteries, they should be dropped off at a household hazardous waste (HHW) facility, or you can participate in the mail-in and take-back programs found here.

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Recycle Used Motor Oil
Over three billion quarts of oil are consumed in U.S. cars and trucks each year. This used engine oil can be recycled and reused, which can cut fossil fuel use, lower emissions and reduce environmental impact. Valvoline even markets a NextGen motor oil made with this recycled oil.

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Alexandra Bocci, a spokesperson for Valvoline, offered some tips for recycling: Place used motor oil in a clean plastic container with a tight lid. Never store this oil in a container that once held chemicals, food or beverages. Don’t mix the oil with anything else and take it to your automotive retailer.

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Make Special Accommodations for Your Propane Tank
Local garbage collectors won’t pick up propane tanks, gas bottles and other hazardous materials. In fact, propane tank disposal may actually be illegal in some places because of the explosion risk.

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Instead, used tanks, like those used in barbecues, should be exchanged when buying a new tank or brought into a hardware store or propane dealer for reuse or recycling. Scrap metal dealers might also accept used tanks for recycling.

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Recycle Paint When the Can is Empty
When you’re getting ready for a paint job, buying the correct amount of paint has the added benefit of easier disposal. Use up all the paint you can and let the paint can dry out by leaving the lid off of it. Once the can is empty, it will be accepted as a scrap metal item. It is not something that should be handled by curbside recycling because it’s not a food grade material, according to Earth911.
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If you do have leftover paint, don’t dispose of it in the trash or down storm or sewer drains. Paint can contaminate drinking water and ocean water, and it may even be illegal in your state. Instead, read the instructions on the label and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for proper disposal. You can check your local recycling or household hazardous waste collection center to see if they take any unused paint.

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Embrace Energy-Efficient Bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs should be packaged in newspaper or bubble wrap so they don’t break on the way to a recycling center, since they contain small amounts of mercury. 

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Incandescent bulbs, the most common type of bulb in American homes, are not only energy inefficient. There’s no market for recycling them, which is why experts recommend weaning yourself off using them. Whenever one burns out, replace it with a longer-lasting CFL or LED instead.

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Purge Your Shed of Pesticides
Pesticides dumped into waterways or the trash can poison animals and fish, so handle them especially carefully. Drop them off at a HHW collection site. Some landfills handle HHW by collecting it at dump-sites directly. Don’t forget the container, either.

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According to the EPA, pesticide containers are recyclable. Take these containers to the HHW collection site for separate recycling. This goes for products you’re using in the yard to the expired bottle of bug repellant sitting on your dresser. And next time you purchase, opt for organic and natural solutions.

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Use Up Household Cleaning Products
Toxic household cleaners can’t be recycled, so the only option is to take them to a HHW facility where they will properly dispose of the product so it won’t contaminate soil and water supplies.

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This is a much safer method than pouring cleaners down the drain or toilet, or tossing in a trashcan. Next time around, switch to green products, which are lower on the toxicity scale.

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Donate Old Knives
It’s hard to know what to do with old knives, since they’re inherently dangerous. Professional organizer Allison Flinn offers a solution: donate them to thrift stores. Many will accept knives and resell them.

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Another idea is to offer old kitchenware to a local soup kitchen or shelter. Many will accept gently used kitchenware so they can offer a basic set to families or individuals transitioning to housing. If the knives are in really bad shape, wrap them up and recycle them.

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