....................................................................................................... 1
HHW B
ASIC
T
RAINING
: W
HAT

YOU

SHOULD

KNOW

BEFORE

YOU

BEGIN
.................................. 1
HHW M
ANAGEMENT
G
UIDELINES
....................................................................................... 4
S
TATE
L
AWS
, R
EGULATIONS

AND
A
SSISTANCE
P
ROGRAMS
................................................... 10
R
EPORTING
R
EQUIREMENTS
............................................................................................... 12
E
DUCATION
..................................................................................................................... 13
T
YPES

OF
HHW P
ROGRAMS
............................................................................................. 14
L
IABILITY
I
SSUES
............................................................................................................. 18
S
AMPLE
P
ROMOTIONAL
M
ATERIALS
................................................................................... 19
A
PPENDICES
A
PPENDIX
A - HHW G
UIDANCE
M
ATERIALS
.................................................................... 29
A
PPENDIX
B - HHW C
ONTACTS

BY
M
ATERIAL
T
YPE
.......................................................... 31
A
PPENDIX
C - G
ENERAL
HHW C
ONTACT
L
IST
.................................................................. 35
A
PPENDIX
D - Q
UICK
R
EFERENCE

FOR
S
OURCE
R
EDUCTION
& R
ECYCLING
T
IPS
..................... 38
A
PPENDIX
E - W
ORLD
W
IDE
W
EB
S
ITES

FOR
S
OLID
W
ASTE
M
ANAGEMENT
/R
ECYCLING
......... 48
A
PPENDIX
F - P
OISON
C
ONTROL
R
ESOURCES
...................................................................... 51
T
ABLES
T
ABLE
1: G
ENERAL
D
ISPOSAL
G
UIDELINES

FOR
HHW ....................................................... 10
T
ABLE
2: E
XAMPLE
HHW M
EASURE

OF
M
ETRIC
(
PPT
) ...................................................... 13
T
ABLE
3: W
AYS

TO
R
EDUCE

THE
C
OST

OF
C
OLLECTIONS
.................................................... 17 3
Your guide to improving solid waste management on
your base begins by addressing proper management
of household hazardous waste (HHW). While HHW
is not as easy to manage as some of the more
common recyclables, it is a good way to get everyone
on base thinking about the things they throw away.
As individuals become aware of the potential environ-
mental effects of the everyday products they discard
at home, they will realize the importance of taking
action not only in their families, but also at the larger
level of the whole installation.
This chapter first presents the basic information you
need to become your bases expert on HHW. It
includes information on proper management of HHW,
as well as descriptions of applicable laws, regulations
and reporting requirements.
Next, you will find ideas and tools for educating
others on your base and, perhaps, in your larger
community. Finally, in case you want to go a step
further than general education, we have provided
W
HAT
D
O
P
ESTICIDES
, D
RAIN
O
PENERS
,
N
AIL
P
OLISH
,
AND
B
ATTERIES
H
AVE

IN
C
OMMON
?
They all fall under the category of household haz-
ardous waste. While these products are commonly
discarded from homes along with other household
waste, they would be classified as hazardous wastes
if they were generated and disposed of by industry.
A hazardous waste is a substance that meets one of
the following four criteria: Corrosive (damaging to living tissue); Ignitable (catches fire under certain
conditios); Toxic (causing injury or death if eaten or
swallowed); or
descriptions of HHW collection programs, complete
with sample promotional materials. Throughout the
chapter, you will find case studies of successful
programs at other military installations.
In case you still dont feel like an expert at the end of
the chapter, we have provided lists of additional
resources to help you learn more.
Information that is state-specific, such as applicable
laws, regulations, and program information is broken
out by state within the broader heading. For informa-
tion that is common to all states, no states are listed
separately.
The Region 4 DoD Pollution Prevention (P2) Partner-
ship owes a great deal of thanks to the members of
the Georgia DoD P2 Partnership, Solid Waste and
Recycling Work Team, for their hard work in devel-
opment of the HHW chapter of their own Georgia
Solid Waste and Recycling BMP Guide. The Georgia
chapter was used as the basis for development of this
first chapter of the Regional BMP Resource Guide. Reactive (capable of causing an explosion).
A substance may also be considered hazardous if it is
found in one of several lists of hazardous wastes in
federal regulations.
The products mentioned above are just a few ex-
amples of items that meet these criteria and are
considered HHW for the purpose of this chapter.
Each year Americans generate approximately 1.6
million tons of HHW.
2
W
HY

IS
HHW
A
C
ONCERN
?
If household hazardous products are completely used
up according to the directions (and with the appropri-
ate protective equipment), then most household
hazardous products provide benefits such as reducing
cleaning time, disinfecting surfaces, and controlling 4
pests without posing a threat to human health or the
environment.
However, if misused, stored, or disposed of improp-
erly (e.g., down a storm drain or in the yard), HHW
can contaminate ground/surface water, injure
homeowners or solid waste management personnel,
and/or harm septic tank systems. For instance, one
gallon of used oil improperly poured on the ground has
the potential to contaminate over one million gallons
of drinking water. When particular chemicals are
poured down a storm sewer, the vapors could collect
and cause fires or explosions in the pipes. Under
certain conditions, some aerosol cans may explode
when compacted in a solid waste collection vehicle,
and products such as pool chemicals can injure
workers if they leak, spill, or mix with other incompat-
ible chemicals.
Most people feel safe at home; however, they are
often exposed to high levels of chemicals inside their
houses. People can also inadvertently mix two
incompatible materials together, producing a danger-
ous gas. When placed near heat sources, certain
products may catch fire or explode. Inadequately
sealed products may release harmful fumes, which
may pose a fire or health hazard.
While not addressed in this chapter, improper use or
disposal can sometimes lead to a persons being
injured, poisoned, or requiring medical advice. In
1999, the Georgia Poison Control Center received
about 11,400 calls regarding home cleaning, laundry
and miscellaneous home products, including more
than 2,000 calls regarding bleach products.
If an injury or poisoning does occur, contact the
Georgia Poison Center immediately. Residents should
also report any complaints about household hazardous
products to the Consumer Product Safety
Commissions (CPSC) hotline at (800) 638-2772.
The TDD number is (800) 638-8270. The CPSC can
ban a product only if it receives complaints from the
public.
See Appendix F for a list of Poison Control contacts
by state.
H
OW
A
RE
H
OUSEHOLD
H
AZARDOUS
P
ROD
-
UCTS
I
DENTIFIED
?
Proper identification of household hazardous products
is a crucial step in ensuring safety during use, storage,
and disposal of these products. The best way to
identify a hazardous product is to read the information
provided by the manufacturer on a products label.
Product labels also provide important information
about the best management practices for discarded
materials or products. Similarly, specific signal words
appear on a products label indicating the degree to
which the product is a hazard.
On non-pesticide products, the word Danger
indicates that the product is extremely flammable,
extremely corrosive, or highly toxic. The signal word
Poison is also associated with a highly toxic
product, while the words Warning or Caution
indicate that lesser hazards are associated with the
product. The statement Keep out of reach of
children,
or its practical equivalent, must appear on
the label in addition to a description of the principal
hazards involved in using the product. Other key
words such as Flammable and Corrosive, or
key phrases such as Do not use near heat or
flame, Harmful or fatal if swallowed, Use in
well-ventilated area, or Avoid contact with skin
and eyes may also appear on the products label.
Pesticide product labels also contain the words
Danger or Poison, Warning, or Caution,
indicating that the product is highly toxic, moderately
toxic, or slightly toxic respectively. These signal
words refer to how much of the product it would take
to kill an average 150-pound adult. The statement
Keep out of reach of children must also appear
on the front label of a pesticide product. In addition,
the label must contain information regarding the
specific hazards posed by the pesticide product and
instructions on how to properly use the product.
Additional explanations of labeling appear in the
How to Read a Label handout and the slide show
text, found in the Outreach Tools section of this
chapter, beginning on page X. 5
H
OW
D
O
M
OST
P
EOPLE
M
ANAGE
T
HEIR
HHW?
Though no specific surveys were available document-
ing HHW disposal habits in most states, a 1996
survey of 801 Georgia citizens from throughout t