Household hazardous waste (HHW) is specifically products found in the home, rather than in commercial businesses. Businesses and households face separate regulations for storing and disposing of hazardous wastes, both of which are promulgated and monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on the federal level, and also by the state environmental agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in Texas.

There are a great number of products that are HHW, especially when considering all the pure chemicals, chemical mixtures, various trade names, and commercial product names. Basically, products are considered hazardous if they are classified as:

• Flammable/Combustible: Can easily catch fire
• Explosive/Reactive: Can detonate or explode through exposure to heat, sudden shock, pressure or incompatible substances
• Corrosive: Chemical action can burn and destroy living tissues or other materials when brought in contact
• Toxic: Capable of causing injury or death through ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption. Some toxic substances cause cancer, genetic mutations and fetal harm

Generally, they are liquids and solids that contain materials listed on an EPA or state environmental agency list of hazardous materials. The list below outlines some of the general categories of products you would find in your home that would be considered an HHW when discarded:

• Automotive products - gasoline, motor oil, antifreeze, windshield wiper fluid, car wax and cleaners, lead-acid batteries, brake fluid, transmission fluid
• Home Improvement Products - paint, varnish, stain, paint thinner, paint stripper, caulk adhesives
• Pesticides - insecticide and insect repellent, weed killer, rat and mouse poison, pet spray and dip, flea collars, mothballs, disinfectant, wood preservative
• Household Cleaners - furniture polish and wax, drain opener, oven cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, spot remover, bleach, ammonia
• Other: - household batteries, cosmetics, pool chemicals, shoe polish, lighter fluid, art and craft materials, computer equipment

An exhaustive HHW list would be far too burdensome to list here, but on the second page of the "City Of Bellaire Voucher Request for Household Hazardous Waste" form there is a more detailed list to help you locate the HHW in your home. Also consult the HHW list and descriptions in the Bellaire Recycles! website at www.bellairerecycles.com or contact the City of Houston Household Hazardous Waste Information Line at 713-551-7355.