How to Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste in Lubbock

Whether it's spring cleaning or your in-laws decide on a surprise visit from out of town. Whatever the reason, properly disposing of household chemicals and hazardous waste is a massive MUST. But don't worry, here's what you need to know for proper disposal in Lubbock, Texas.

What Are Household Hazardous Waste Items?

According to the City of Lubbock website, hazardous wastes are classified as any "household products that can be harmful and create environmental problems, if not used, stored, or disposed of properly."

What makes these dangerous products hazardous is the fact that many are flammable, explosive, poisonous, reactive, and/or carcinogenic (substances that are able to cause cancer).

It's not just ingesting these products that causes high risk. Just by being in the same room as some of these chemicals can be enough to affect your health. Inhaling gasses and absorbing through the skin are other common ways our bodies are affected by hazardous household products.

Some common hazardous waste that's found in Lubbock homes include the following:

• Drain cleaner and other corrosive cleaners
• Fertilizers
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• Fuel additives
• Herbicides
• Mercury
• Oil-based or latex paints
• Pesticides
• Wax and Polish
• Poisons (rodent or insect)
• Chlorine and/or acid for pools
• Wood stains or varnishes

When Dealing with Household Hazardous Waste, DO...

Read labels and consider safer products for the overall wellbeing of everyone living in the house. Also, try to use all of the product instead of leaving portions in the container to sit for long periods of time.

When it comes to car parts, always take your used motor oil to drop-off centers around the city (see full list here), and trade in your old car battery when buying a new one to ensure it is properly disposed of.

What NOT to Do with Household Hazardous Waste

DO NOT flush any hazardous waste down the toilet. The last thing you want is to damage your plumbing or contaminate your water supply. The same goes for dumping waste onto the ground in your backyard. Chemicals can seep into groundwater which is bad news for everyone nearby.

Also, you should NEVER burn any hazardous waste in order to dispose of them. This may seem obvious, but all burning does is expel harmful chemicals into the air. You also should never store chemicals of any kind in reach of small children or animals. On top of this being poor judgement, it can lead to either of the two getting very sick and/or dying.