If all of our recent snow has you dreaming of spring—and spring cleaning—remember that when it comes to disposing of hazardous household chemicals, please take the extra steps to ensure you don’t contaminate our water sources.
Improper use and disposal of household hazardous materials, including oven cleaners, paints, paint removers, pesticides, swimming pool chemicals and drain cleaners, contain toxic chemicals that can contaminate nearby surface and groundwater. Never put these chemicals in your household trash because they will ultimately end up in the landfill.
The Pierce County website has a list of products that can be accepted at its Household Hazardous Waste drop-off centers at the Tacoma Transfer Center (3510 S Mullen St., Tacoma) and the Hidden Valley Transfer Center (17925 Meridian E., Puyallup). You can also call the Hazardous Waste Hotline at 800.287.6429 for more information.
And don’t forget to think about using eco-friendly cleaning products, many of which can be made simply from ingredients you have around the house, including lemon juice, vinegar, borax and baking soda. You can also check out the Washington State Department of Ecology website for more information.