Mary Anne M.

Cortez
BS ChE V
ChE 197 Final Paper
Topic: Household Hazardous Wastes

Household hazardous wastes are wastes that can be generated from everyday
materials if they have already reached their limits for usability. These materials can be
easily accessed from groceries, and proper disposal is necessary to prevent any
unfavorable incidents that may occur due to their improper handling.
What makes our everyday materials become hazardous at some point in time,
especially when they have been considered as no longer usable, is that they possess the
same properties with typical hazardous materials: (1) corrosive, (2) toxic, (3)
ignitable/flammable and (4) reactive/explosive (Environmental Protection Agency, 2013).

Corrosive materials, such as acids and bases, are

capable of corroding metal containers such as barrels,
storage tanks and drums. One example of corrosive
materials is the battery acid.

Toxic wastes are harmful or fatal when ingested or

absorbed, and one of these are materials containing
mercury and lead. When toxic wastes are land disposed,
contaminated liquid may leach from the waste and pollute
ground water.

Ignitable wastes can create fires under certain

conditions, are spontaneously combustible). Examples
include waste oils and used solvents.

Reactive wastes are unstable under "normal"

conditions. They can cause explosions, toxic fumes, gases,
or vapors when heated, compressed, or mixed with water.
Examples include lithium-sulfur batteries and explosives.

Household hazardous wastes can be divided among few classifications. These

classifications are (CalRecycle, 2014):

Lights, batteries, and electronics these include fluorescent lamps and

tubes, batteries (lead-acid, lithium-ion, zinc, etc.), tv monitors and
electronic devices. The last two are also considered as e-wastes, but still fall
under the definition of household hazardous wastes.

Mercury containing items such as electric switches from pre-1972 washing

machines, clothes irons, hood and trunk lights, old thermostats for old
establishments and houses, light sensors for stoves and space heaters,
mercury gauges (barometer, manometer), mercury thermometers, and
mercury-added novelties.

Household landscape chemicals flammables and poisons (rat poisons),

acids, oxidizers and bases (pool chemicals and cleaners), and pesticides and
herbicides.

Automobile related motor oil and antifreeze

Others compressed gas cylinders, empty aerosol cans, photo waste (silver
bearing), syringes, fire extinguishers, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Improper household wastes disposal can lead to detrimental health and

environmental effects. Disposing of wastes without following any protocol can inflict
physical injury to sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment
facilities (toilets and drains), and pollute bodies of water (storm sewers). In the
Philippines, one case of misuse of harmful chemical led to the death of 29 people and
hospitalization of 104 more. Carbamate insecticide was inadvertently used in the
preparation of sweets resulted in mass poisoning of consumers. Such incidents usually
happen because common hazardous products at home are improperly labelled, handled
and stored, and are thus mistaken as food ingredients (A2D Project, 2015.).
There are three main ways on how to manage household hazardous wastes
properly: (1) source reduction, (2) safe storage, and (3) collection (United States
Environmental Protection Agency, 2015).
1. Source reduction (1) Products should only be bought at the minimum
amount, that is, only buy the amount needed. (2) As much as possible, choose
the least toxic item to be used. (3) Donate unused portions of the particular
material such as paints. Many people may find it still useful.
2. Safe storage (1) Products should be kept in their original containers. (2) Never
mix chemicals with another. (3) Store away from heat, children and pets.
3. Collection some countries have collection programs where household
hazardous wastes are being collected, and either recycled, reprocessed or

donated/exchanged (unused portions) or disposed of properly. However, here

in the Philippines, the same sort of program is still not well-established.

One example of a household hazardous waste that can be recycled is the

fluorescent tubes. Shown next page is the process where this type of HHW is reprocessed
and parts are separated (AirCycleCorp, 2015).

1. Lamps are sent to the recycling facility

Upon arrival at the recycling facility, the
lamps are removed from their containers and fed
into specialized machine for recycling lamps. The
entire process is fully automatic and incorporated
in a container in which the air is brought to
vacuum,

preventing

mercury

from

being

released into the environment.

2. By-product separation

Utilizing an air transportation system, the

phosphor powder is separated in different steps
from the glass and metal by-products.

3. Glass and aluminum storing

Clean glass and aluminum end-caps are

separated and stored for re-use.

4. Mercury isolation

The mercury bearing powder is collected

in distiller barrels beneath the cyclone and the
self-cleansing dust filters.

5. Mercury extraction

The powder is then retorted to drive out the

mercury.

6. Elements are ready for re-use

At the end of the process the glass, metal

end-caps, powder, and mercury can all be re-used.

Instead of using certain chemicals that eventually become hazardous wastes, few
less harmful alternatives can also be taken (Georgia Department of Public Health, 2015):
Conventional chemical
Air fresheners/deodorizers

Alternatives
Baking soda in odor producing
area/vinegar (in an open dish)

Carpet and rug cleaners

Dishwashing liquid + boiling water

Disinfectants and germicides

wash with borax/sodium carbonate

Furniture polish

Olive oil/beeswax/lemon oil

Moth balls

Cedar chips

Silver cleaners
Toilet bowl cleaners

Boil water with salt in a pan with

aluminum at the bottom, heat the silver
Liquid chlorine bleach

The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA has issued regulations governing

hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or

Superfund). RCRA is the federal law requiring safeguards and encouraging

environmentally sound methods for disposal of household, municipal, commercial, and
industrial waste. Hazardous waste is regulated under RCRAs Subtitle C program, where
a system for controlling hazardous waste from cradle to grave or from the moment it
is generated until its ultimate disposal established. Hazardous wastes disposal should
have:
1. A tracking system that requires a manifest document to accompany
transported hazardous waste from the point of generation to the point of final
disposal.
2. An identification and permitting system that enables EPA and the states to
ensure the safe operation of all facilities involved in the treatment, storage, and
disposal of hazardous waste. Certain generators, transporters, and treatment,
storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) must obtain an EPA identification
number. TSDFs also must obtain a permit to operate, which ensures that they
meet the standards established under the RCRA program for proper waste
management.
3. A system of restrictions and controls on the placement of hazardous waste on
or into the land.
However, RCRA Subtle C exempts household hazardous wastes from federal
hazardous wastes regulations and liabilities. Programs collecting HHW do not need
Subtle C permits or EPA identification number. Also, the transportation of HHW to
collection sites does not have to follow certain regulations, that is, people can bring HHW
to a collection facility in their own cars. Aside from HHW, Conditionally Exempt Small
Quantity Generator (CESQG) Wastes, or hazardous waste generators with 100 kg of
hazardous wastes generation per month are also exempted under RCRA Subtle C.

The second regulation established by EPA is the Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA or Superfund). It was passed in
1980 to address the cleanup of inactive and abandoned hazardous waste sites. According
to this act, if cleanup of a hazardous waste disposal site is necessary, all sources of the
waste, as well as the owner or operator of the site, might be potentially responsible parties
(PRPs), who are liable for the entire cleanup cost for the site. Unlike the RCRA, CERCLA
provides no exemptions for household hazardous wastes or on any amount of wastes
generated.
In the Philippines, there are only few laws which provide attention to the proper
management of hazardous wastes. One is the Republic Act 6969, or the Toxic Substances
and Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990. One of
the objectives of this act is to monitor and regulate the importation, manufacture,
processing, handling, storage, transportation, sale, distribution, use and disposal of
chemical substances and mixtures that present unreasonable risk or injury to health or to
the environment. Hazardous wastes are defined under this act as by-products, sideproducts, process residues, spent reaction media, contaminated plant or equipment or
other substances from manufacturing operations, and as consumer discards of
manufacture products, which implies that household hazardous wastes are to be
managed as well according to this law (CIEN, 2015).
However, there are many barriers with regards to the proper HHW management
here in the Philippines. (1) There is lack of prioritization when it comes to proper waste
disposal. (2) Mechanisms for proper HHW management is also lacking. (3) Public
awareness campaigns to effect value and behavioral change seem futile. (4) Household
hazardous wastes are considered to be much of a problem because they exist in small
quantities for individual residences. (5) Relevant policies, even though are already
present at the national level, still lack of enforcement (A2D Project, 2015).

Policy actions should be taken as early as possible regarding HHW management.

These may include: (1) Implementation of waste minimization down to the smallest
community unit (barangay). (2) Strict enforcement of waste segregation. (3) Enactment of
product-orientation measures. (4) Develop and execute education and awareness
campaign. (5) Create a city management board for hazardous wastes (A2D Project, 2015).

References:
A2D Project. 2015. Policy Brief for Managing Household Hazardous Wastes in Cebu City,
Philippines. Available: http://www.rcecebu.org/sites/default/files/Policy%20Brief%20for
%20Managing%20 Household%20Hazardous%20Wastes%20in%20Cebu.pdf
AirCycleCorp. 2015. Recycling Lamps - How Your Lamps Get Recycled. Available:
http://www.aircycle.com/recycling/recycling-process/
CIEN. 2015. RA 6969. Philippine Laws and Regulations under Chemical Management.
Available: http://202.57.47.170/elaws/Images/RA%206969.pdf
Environmental

Protection

Agency.

2013.

Characteristic

Wastes.

Available:

http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/wastetypes/characteristic.htm
Georgia Department of Public Health. 2015. What are Hazardous Household Chemicals?
Available:

https://dph.georgia.gov/sites/dph.georgia.gov/files/related_files/site_page/

EnvHealthChemHazSafeAlternativesBrochure.pdf
Hazardous

Wastes

Laws

and

Regulations.

2015.

Appendix

A.

Available:

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/pubs/manual/appdx_a.pdf
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2015. Household Hazardous Wastes.
Available: http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/hhw.htm