Household Hazardous Waste

As of March 1, 2006, the Office of Environmental Management of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs is the state office responsible for administering a household hazardous waste program.

P²AD’s “Guide to Best Management Practices for Household Hazardous Waste and Radon” contains product-specific recommendations including reuse, recycling and disposal information for household hazardous waste. Each material type listed in the guide has a link to a database of recycling sites on the Earth 911 site (1-877-EARTH911). This site can help you find out if there is a recycling site near you, but many types of household hazardous wastes are not recyclable. This is one reason why preventing household hazardous waste by following the reduce and reuse recommendations in the guide is so important.

More on HHW

Batteries

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) recycles nickel cadmium batteries nation-wide. Their website contains information about their program and links to other related sites. http://www.rbrc.org

Mercury

ATSDR’s website has a “National Alert–A Warning About Continuing Patterns of Metallic Mercury Exposure”, including incidents involving schoolchildren, incidents involving religious practices, what it is, how it’s used and why it’s a health risk. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/alerts/970626.html

USGS’s website has an online slide show called “Mercury Contamination of Aquatic Ecosystems” including the US EPA Fish Consumption Advisory Database, health affects, and additional links. http://water.usgs.gov/wid/FS_216-95/FS_216-95.html

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ website has information including “Mercury/ Methyl Mercury” and “7-Year-Olds’ Neurological Development Shows Delays From Methylmercury in Mothers’ Diets During Pregnancy.” http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/faq/alpha-m.htm