Hazardous Waste Information
QUICK ACCESS TO HAZWASTE INFORMATION

Hazardous Waste Information

HAZARDOUS WASTE & DRINKING WATER

If someone were to drop a poisonous substance into our communities’ water supply, the act would be considered a serious crime and a "state of emergency' would be declared.

However, when you dispose of a can of paint thinner or throw out other hazardous materials with your trash, no alarms are sounded and no news flashes are issued. Yet, the impact on our water resources could be just as disastrous.

That is not a far-fetched statement. The average household contains between three and ten gallons of materials that are hazardous to human health or to our natural environment. Collectively, these materials can poison our water if they are not stored carefully and disposed of properly.

All products containing hazardous chemicals are required by law to list the chemical.  Many products also have warning labels on them.  The words "DANGER", "WARNING", and "CAUTION" indicate the relative degree of hazard with "danger" being the highest, followed by "warning" and then "caution". Make sure and read the labels and ingredients before you purchase or use a household chemical.  If you are uncertain if a chemical is hazardous, contact the manufacturer or call the Consumer Product Safety Commission (1-800-638-2772).

The United States Environmental Protection Agency considers a substance hazardous if it can catch fire, if it can react or explode when mixed with other substances, if it is corrosive, or if it is toxic. Working definitions of these terms are:

TOXICITY - able to directly or indirectly poison living things.

IGNITABILITY - flammable (capable of catching on fire).

CORROSIVITY - capable of destroying or dissolving another substance.  These compounds are either basic (caustics, such as lye) or acidic (such as battery acid).

REACTIVITY - capable of participating in chemical reactions or transformations.

These definitions include many things that you are probably storing right now in your garage, basement, bathroom, or kitchen. Some, like paint thinner or batteries, are obvious, but there are many that you might not ordinarily think of such as polishes, insecticides and glues.

 

EXAMPLES OF HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTES

HAZARD CLASS

CLEANING PRODUCTS

HOME
REPAIR

OUTDOOR AND GARDEN 

AUTOMOTIVE MAINTENANCE
 

CORROSIVE
  • stain removers
  • toilet cleaners
  • bathroom cleaners
  • floor wax stripper
  • oven cleaners
  • bleach
  • lye
  • Muriatic acid
  • swimming pool chemicals
  • hot tub chemicals
  • roach killer
  • Acid batteries
FLAMMABLE
  • methyl hydrate
  • furniture cleaner
  • all aerosol cans
  • acetone
  • contact cement
  • paint thinner
  • paint strippers
  • insect repellent
  • camping fuel
  • kerosene
  • all aerosol cans
  • all aerosol cans
  • methyl hydrate
TOXIC
  • rubbing alcohol
  • hydrogen peroxide
  • wood stain
  • wood preservatives
  • varnish remover
  • turpentine
  • paint thinner
  • paint
  • varsol
  • weed and grass killer
  • dandelion killer
  • lawn fertilizers
  • plant fertilizers
  • malathion and other pesticides
  • camping fuel
  • radiator coolant
  • antifreeze
  • oil
REACTIVE
  • all aerosol cans
  • bleach
  • all aerosol cans
  • all aerosol cans
  • BBQ and camping fluid
  • propane cylinders
  • all aerosol cans

 

TOXICITY RATING

The toxicity rating is a numerical scale that is used to assign a degree of danger to a hazardous substance.  This rating is based on the amount of product that would need to be swallowed by a 150 pound person to cause DEATH:

TOXICITY RATING NUMBER

CATEGORY

DOSAGE

6

 SUPER TOXIC Less than 7 drops

5

 EXTREMELY TOXIC 7 drops to 1 teaspoon

4

 VERY TOXIC 1 teaspoon to 1 ounce

3

 MODERATELY TOXIC 1 ounce to 1 pint

2

 SLIGHTLY TOXIC 1 pint to 1 quart

1

 PRACTICALLY NON-TOXIC more than 1 quart

Most hazardous ingredients to household chemicals have been assigned a toxicity rating.  This information is usually found on the ingredient label.  If you cannot locate the toxicity rating, contact the manufacturer or call the Consumer Product Safety Commission (1-800-638-2772). Some example ratings are:

Antifreeze = 3
Lead batteries = 3-4
Bleach = 3
Ammonia based cleaners = 2-4
Degreasers = 3-4
Disinfectants = 3-4
Drain cleaners = 3-4
Fertilizers = 1-5
Fingernail polish/removers = 3-4Gasoline = 3-4
Motor oil = 3-4
Pesticides = 3-5

 

HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL

By working together, the residents of Bannock County can plan and create an effective system for managing hazardous wastes. These efforts help reduce the amount of hazardous waste in many areas, while heightening public awareness of the problem.

Successful collection efforts in the past have helped to protect our groundwater from hazardous waste contamination.

The Bannock County Landfill offers Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days. Contact the Landfill at 208-236-0607 for more information, and specific collection dates/times.

 

HAZARDOUS WASTE ALTERNATIVES

  • Glass Cleaner
    2 Tbsp vinegar to 1 qt water
  • Coffee Cup Stain Remover
    Use moist salt
  • Hand Cleaner
    Baby oil
  • Mosquito Repellent
    Burn citronella candles/oil
  • Drain Cleaner
    Plunge, follow with baking soda and vinegar, let sit 15 minutes then pour 2 qts boiling water
  • Tile Cleaner
    Baking soda
  • Spot Remover
    Club soda, lemon juice or salt
  • General Cleaner
    1 tsp liquid soap plus 1 tsp Borax plus 1 squeeze lemon in 2 qts warm water

 

MORE INFORMATION

If you need more information about household hazardous wastes try calling one of the hotline/information numbers below:

Idaho Hazardous Materials Bureau
(208) 334-5879

Consumer Product Safety Commission
1-800-638-2772

Environmental Protection Agency
(206) 442-1918

National Pesticide Information Hotline
1-800-858-7378

Department of Environmental Quality
(208)236-6160

Fort Hall Mine Landfill
(208) 236-0607

What you throw away today... You may be drinking tomorrow!