How Do I Dispose of Hazardous Chemicals?

The handling and disposal of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) has become quite a problem over the past couple decades. Items that used to be thrown into the trash, poured down the drain, or dumped in the grass have been proven to pose a health threat when disposed of improperly.

Products that are considered HHW are safe when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, but become hazardous when they are thrown away in a manner that may leach chemicals into the soil or groundwater. Some examples of common HHW include oil-based paints, cleaners, used oils, batteries, household cleaners, fuel, pesticides or other items that contain potentially hazardous ingredients.

Does Convenience Have a Cost?

What’s the cost of convenience? The term “cost” can cover a wide range of ways that something impacts something else. It can be monetary, which is the most obvious, but money may be the least detrimental in terms of “cost”.

In a world filled with convenience stores, items, food and a host of other things directed at saving time and keeping people moving in their busy lives, some important things are being left to fall by wayside.

Borden Waste-Away Excited to Renew and Expand Relationship With City of Goshen.

Elkhart, IN – January 18, 2018.

Beginning February 1, 2018, Borden Waste-Away Service, Inc. will begin collecting residential trash for the City of Goshen, fulfilling their newly awarded contract.

Borden was originally based in Goshen before being acquired by Elkhart-based Waste-Away Group in 1974. Borden Waste-Away President, Chris Himes, relates, “We’re happy to be a part of the City of Goshen again where Borden initially had its roots. We’re looking forward to strengthening our current connection and relationship with its residents.”

How Do I Dispose of Medical Waste?

Medical waste comes in many forms and from many sources. Doctors offices and hospitals are only the beginning. Dental offices, blood banks, and vet clinics also produce medical waste. 

Medical waste can be liquids, solids, semi-solids, or contained gases. They can be manufacturing process byproducts, sludges or spent materials, or simply discarded products. 

Whatever their form, proper management and disposal is essential to protect human health and the environment.

How Much Extra Food and Trash is Thrown Away During the Holidays?

Thanksgiving marked a day of family, friends and giving thanks for all of the wonderful things we have in our lives. One of these things, unlike some other countries, is an overabundance of food.

“In 2016 nearly 88 percent of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey at Thanksgiving. 

The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 16 pounds, meaning that approximately 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States during the 2016 Thanksgiving holiday.”

Can I Put Batteries Into My Regular Trash?

Batteries have become an American staple for such things like appliances, toys, electronics, and so many other things we have grown fond of in our lives. “Fond of” is almost an understatement when it comes to some of the things that take batteries that we have almost become dependent on.

So many of the household batteries that we use are able to be thrown into the trash and, ultimately, the landfill.

What is Gasification?

“Gasification is a technology that has been widely used in commercial applications for more than 50 years. It’s a method to extract energy from materials by converting carbonaceous materials into synthesis gas (syngas). This syngas is itself a fuel or it can be used as a renewable-energy resource.”

“Gasifiers operate at 3,000-4,000°F, using a thermo-chemical conversion process that does not include enough oxygen for the materials to burn. Instead the materials are broken down at the molecular level and then reformed into reusable products.”

Dealing With Yard Waste

Any homeowner can tell you that the upkeep and maintenance on a home never seems to be finished. Painting this, fixing that, and keeping up with the lawn and yard work.

The grass and weeds alone are enough to keep anyone busy each week with mowing and weed eating, but as the trees and bushes grow so quickly, they need seasonal attention, too.

What Is Solid Waste Management District?

Solid Waste Management Districts (SWMD) have a whole range of responsibilities and are a wealth of knowledge for county residents. 

Programs offered by a SWMD can range from Earth Day events, Electronic Waste drop-off days, shredding events, and even holding things like "Trash to Treasure" contests and events for "America Recycles Day".

How Do I Store and Dispose of Used Paint?

Nothing transforms an item, a room, or a whole house like a fresh coat of paint. It's fairly

easy, somewhat inexpensive, and generally doesn't require too much clean-up. Unless you are an expert in gauging exactly how much paint you will need or you are incredibly lucky, most of us always have some paint leftover. How are these half-full cans of paint disposed of properly? Well that depends on what type of paint you used.

The two types of paint available are water-based and oil-based. Water-based paint, also called latex paint, was invented in the 1940's in Canada, using the resin from a rubber tree as a binder. The binders that are currently used in latex paints are made from synthetic polyvinyl acetate resins and styrene butadiene, along with other synthetic binders. Clean-up after using latex paint is easily done with soap and water.

Industrial Waste and Pollution

Industrial waste is the waste produced by industrial activity and includes any material that is rendered
useless during any manufacturing process. Factories, mills, and mining operations contribute to industrial waste.

The world was introduced to industrial waste during the Industrial Revolution which happened between about 1760 and 1830. Some examples of industrial waste are chemical solvents, paints, sandpaper, paper products, industrial by-products, metals, and other general wastes.

Risky Business

The handling and disposal of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) have become quite a conundrum over the past couple decades. Items that used to be thrown into the trash, poured down the drain, or dumped in the grass have been proven to pose a health threat when disposed of improperly.

“According to federal and Indiana statutes the term "hazardous waste" means a solid waste, or combination of solid waste that, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics may:  cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible, illness; or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed.”

I Prefer to Look At It As, "The Bag's Half Full"

If you’ve ever opened a brand new bag of potato chips only to find the bag half, or even a third full, you are not alone. This disappointing phenomenon is called over-packaging and greatly adds to our landfill problems in the United States. 

Potato chips aren’t the only culprit. Cereal, cookies, over-the-counter medicines, candy, toys....the list goes on and on. As The National, an online publication, reported recently, “over-wrapped food items are a principal source of the mounds of unnecessary waste that wind up in the nation's landfills. It is common to see food packaged inside cling wrap, inside a plastic container, inside a box, inside a bag. 

Food Surplus and....Hunger?

As we set our tables each day with nutritious meals and plenty to go around, it's hard to remember or believe that millions of people don't have enough to eat....and that's just here in the United States. USA Today estimates that an astonishing 1 in 7 rely on food banks and/or meal programs.

Within the Feeding America network, Hunger in America is a series of studies that focus on collecting demographic information about those seeking food assistance in the United States.

The 2014 study reveals that each year, the Feeding America network of food banks provides service to 46.5 million people in need across the United States, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors.

WasteNot....The Most Basic Concept for One of the Most Troublesome Concerns

Historically, the phrase “The 3 Rs” meant Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic. The basis on which all other schoolwork, and life for that matter, was going to be based.

In more recent years the 3 Rs became the 4 Rs as awareness and emphasis on recycling, preservation, and conservation grew. Not to say, however that the original basis doesn’t still hold some validity. Reading, writing, and math are still stressed in school systems, as well they should be.

As the 4Rs make their debut in the everyday language of Americans, “they are commonly summarized as... reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery."

Running Out Of Space For Landfills?

Americans' use of landfills peaked in the 1980s when we threw nearly 150 million tons of trash each year into landfills. Even today, we throw away more than 100 million tons of garbage yearly. That translates into landfill space possibly being scarce.

In the United States recycling efforts have the ability to divert more than 60 million tons of waste away from landfills yearly, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That amounts to about 32 percent of all of our garbage. As for the remaining trash, where will we continue to put it?

There is a debate between experts as to whether or not we are running out of usable landfill space. Some pay that with the increased number of closed landfills and the increased recycling efforts, we will continue to have ample space for new landfills. Others claim that with the increased population and commercial and residential growth, that we will end up in a space crunch before long.

Waste To Energy...Turning Landfills To Goldmines

With the habits of modern lifestyles causing an increased worldwide waste problem, finding innovative ways to deal with the excessive waste can be a challenge.

Local landfill capacities are being met or exceeded and many first world nations are beginning to export their refuse to third world countries. This practice is having a devastating impact on ecosystems and cultures throughout the world.

How Do I Dispose Of Unwanted Medication?

It seems that there's a medication for everything nowadays. Allergies, asthma, high blood pressure, depression. The list goes on and on. But what happens if this medication is out of date, unwanted, no longer needed or ? You could do what thousands, if not millions, of people think is best....flush it. 

Disposal of Hazardous Hospital Waste

Medical waste comes in many forms and from many sources. Doctors offices and hospitals are only the beginning. Dental offices, blood banks, and vet clinics also produce medical waste. Medical waste can be liquids, solids, semi-solids, or contained gases. They can be manufacturing process byproducts, sludges or spent materials, or simply discarded products. Whatever their form, proper management is essential to protect human health and the environment.

Trash...Burn It Or Bury It?

In order to create a sustainable world for future generations, such issues as economic growth, food sources, population, and the management of waste must be addressed. Considering that the estimation of trash being generated by Americans each year reaches over 390 million tons, managing waste ranks toward the top of the list of environmental concerns. In the United States we recycle and compost about 94 million tons of that waste, or roughly 24 percent, but much more could be done.