Understanding Household Hazardous Waste

What is HHW?
List of Common HHW Products
HHW Collection Locations in North Dakota
Who is Regulated and Who is Not?
HHW and Paint Brochure (PDF)

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• GENERAL FACT: Americans generate 1.6 million tons of HHW per year.
• GENERAL FACT: The average U.S. household generates more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste per year.
• GENERAL FACT: The average home can accumulate as much as 100 pounds of HHW in the basement and garage and in storage closets.

     Based on the statistics above, with approximately 257,000 households in North Dakota 
     generating 20 pounds of HHW per year...

• NORTH DAKOTA FACT: The amount of HHW generated in North Dakota would be about 5.1 million pounds or almost 2,600 tons every year.

What is Household Hazardous Waste?
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is any waste, produced in the home, which contains hazardous substances, which may pose threat to the environment, wildlife, and human health. Products containing hazardous substances are often labeled with words such as: toxic, flammable, corrosive, reactive, danger, warning, caution, flammable, explosive, do not use near open flame, and other cautionary words. Hazardous products become hazardous waste once the consumer no longer has any use for them.

Why is Household Hazardous Waste a Concern?
When hazardous substances are put into the trash, they could injure sanitation workers and it ends up in landfills. When they are burned, the environment becomes polluted with toxic chemicals.  When put down household drains can contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems, and when put into the local storm drains, hazardous waste enters our water supply and threatens health. Hazardous waste enters the environment through landfills, incinerators, lawns, and sewers. As citizens of North Dakota, it is our responsibility to properly dispose of household hazardous waste. Please help to protect the health and quality of our water, wildlife, and children.

Benefits of Proper Household Hazardous Waste Management

• Reduction and recycling of HHW conserves resources and energy that would be expended in the production of more products.
• Reuse of hazardous household products can save money and reduce the need for generating hazardous substances.
• Proper disposal prevents pollution that could endanger human health and the environment.

To avoid the potential risks associated with household hazardous wastes, it is important that people always monitor the use, storage, and disposal of products with potentially hazardous substances in their homes. Below are some tips for individuals to follow in their own homes:

• Use and store products containing hazardous substances carefully to prevent any accidents at home. Never store hazardous products in food containers; keep them in their original containers and never remove labels. Corroding containers, however, require special handling. Call your local hazardous materials official or fire department for instructions.
• When leftovers remain, never mix HHW with other products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode, and contaminated HHW might become unrecyclable.
• Remember to follow any instructions for use and disposal provided on product labels.
• Call your local environmental, health, or solid waste agency for instructions on proper use and disposal and to learn about local HHW drop off programs and upcoming collection days.

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List of Common HHW Products
The following list shows common household items containing potentially hazardous ingredients that might be found in your garage, basement, or other storage space in your home.
 

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HHW Locations in North Dakota

Permanent Facilities:

City of Bismarck
City of Fargo
City of Minot

Annual Collections:

City of Beulah (701-873-5491)
City of Minot

If your community holds an annual collection of household hazardous waste, please contact us (below) to add you to our list.

Project Safe Send:

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture annually offers a collection of used pesticides, herbicides, farm chemicals, etc.  This program is called Project Safe Send and is typically held each summer at a dozen DOT locations across the state.  You do not have to be a farmer to participate.  If you have leftover lawn and garden products, these qualify to be dropped off at these events.

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Who Is Regulated And Who Is Not?

Households that dispose of small amounts of household hazardous waste are exempt from hazardous waste management and are not subject to regulations. They may therefore place their used HHW (paint, chemicals, etc.), computers, etc. in their regular household garbage that is then sent to a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill (these are lined landfills where the liquids that percolate through the landfill are collected and treated).

Non-residential generators (businesses) of less than 220 pounds of hazardous waste (including Cathode Ray Tubes) in a calendar month are known as Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators and are not subject to most RCRA subtitle C hazardous waste management standards. The agency notes that about 7 or 8 CRTs would be sufficient to weigh 220 pounds. (Assuming that each monitor weighed 30 pounds.)

Generators of more than 220 pounds and less than 2,200 pounds of hazardous waste (including CRTs) in a calendar month are subject to the RCRA hazardous waste management standards, but are allowed to comply with certain reduced regulatory requirements.

Large Quantity Generators are those who produce more than 2,200 pounds of hazardous waste in a calendar month and are subject to all of the applicable hazardous waste regulations for generators.

For more information on North Dakota's Hazardous Waste Rules, contact:

ND Department of Health - Division of Waste Management
918 E. Divide Ave., Third Floor
PO Box 5520
Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5520
Phone: (701) 328-5166
Fax: (701) 328-5200
www.ndhealth.gov/wm

For Information on EPA Regulations Contact:

Environmental Protection Agency
Region VIII
(800) 227-8917
http://www.epa.gov/region8/