Handling your hazardous waste
Risks presented by household hazardous waste
Although hazardous waste only accounts for a small part of total household waste (less than 1% without used motor oil), it can have a major environmental impact.
The most common hazardous items include:
- Batteries, car batteries and accumulators.
- DIY waste (paint, varnish, finish removers, mineral spirit, etc.).
- Used motor oil.
- Herbicides, insecticides and fungicides.

The presence of this type of waste in household trash produces risks during collection and treatment, since certain products can cause combustion, explosion, irritation, corrosion, etc. The environmental impact can also be significant, for example if heavy metal from batteries ends up in incinerator fumes or leaches from poorly managed landfills. Hazardous products flushed into the sewers can interfere with treatment plant operations and pollute rivers. Even worse, dangerous waste left in a vacant lot or other uncontrolled area can cause serious soil or water pollution. A liter of used motor oil, for example, can coat 1,000 square meters of water and prevent oxygenation by contaminating the area with heavy metals, organic acids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phenols, phthalate and other pollutants. Toxic, cancer-causing PAHs can also be formed if the oil is burned at an insufficient temperature.

Solutions
There are ways to limit the risk and environmental impact of hazardous waste. The simplest solution is to take the waste to the nearest disposal center after checking that hazardous products are accepted.

Batteries and accumulators
Since January 1, 2001, all French battery retailers are obliged to take back used batteries. Manufacturers are responsible for eliminating the collected batteries, preferably through recovery*.

Paint and varnish
Use leftover paint as a base coat and buy eco-label* products, as they are designed to be less harmful to the environment. Avoid chlorinated organic solvents.

Motor oil
In France, used oil is collected from automobile repair centers. Some garages let motorists bring in their used oil from home.

Gardening products
Use organic gardening methods, rinse pulverizers and empty packaging and then spray the rinse water on the treated plants, check the weather report before treatment so that the product is not washed away by rain.