Dear Jay,
Spring has sprung, and it’s time for some things that haven’t seen the light of day for a long time to emerge from hibernation: bears, frogs, snakes, pasty-white midriffs. Judging from the number of phone calls and emails we get on the subject, it’s also time for those toxic products that have been wintering in the garage, under the sink, and in the storage closets to emerge and get out of the house. Pulling those unused materials out of their hiding places is highly recommended since as they sit there they can be emitting toxic fumes that you and your family may be breathing. There is a place to take these materials, even if there is no law requiring us to do so (though there should be).
The Colorado legislature did recently pass a law effective July 2007 that bans tires, motor oil, and lead-acid batteries from being trashed in the landfill. That’s all the law restricts. Believe it or not, that’s a vast improvement over the law we had before, which pretty much made our landfills a free-for-all.
Until this recent ban passed, Colorado was one of only eight states in the U.S. that had not enacted any kind of landfill ban. Landfills will eventually crack and leak with age, so to prevent the eventual ooze of toxins into soil and water, most of the other 42 states have bans that go beyond these basic items to include hazardous waste like the types of materials you mention. Some go much further to include electronic waste and yard waste.
Hopefully our state will soon catch up with more modern landfill laws, but in the meantime, Boulder County does take the precautionary measure of keeping these materials out of the landfill through their Household Hazardous Waste program, which operates a drop-off located at 5880 Butte Mill Road in Boulder (one-half mile east of 55th Street and Pearl Parkway, inside the Western Disposal Transfer Station.) It’s open for drop-off each Wednesday from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon. No appointment is necessary. They’ll accept household toxins at no charge from residents of Boulder and Broomfield counties and the town of Erie. The program is for residents only, and not for businesses or nonprofit organizations. Products dropped off at the facility are reused, recycled or handled by a licensed hazardous waste contractor for proper disposal.
While you’re visiting the drop-off, check out the free reusable product give away. The county receives many products like paints, varnishes, cleaning and hobby supplies, automotive products, etc. that are suitable for reuse. Individuals, businesses and nonprofits may all pick up reusable products at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information and a full list of wastes accepted, visit the Boulder County Household Hazardous Waste website or call their hotline at (303) 441-4800.
How do you know if a product is considered hazardous? Check the labeling for the following words: "poison, toxic, corrosive, volatile, flammable, inflammable, combustible, explosive, danger, caution, warning or harmful." If you see any of those words individually or in combination, the product is likely hazardous and should stay out of your garbage—law, or no law.
