Sydney cleans out its household chemicals

The City of Sydney has once again taken part in the Household Chemical CleanOut — a free service that offers Sydney residents a safe and convenient way to dispose of their unwanted hazardous materials.

The CleanOut saw the City’s Sydney Park Depot collect more than 26 tonnes of chemicals that otherwise would have been tossed into household bins or down drains. Among the collected chemicals were bottles of Aldrin — a carcinogenic insecticide banned around the globe since the 1970s — and highly toxic mercury.

“Substances such as Aldrin are extremely hazardous,” said the City’s Zero Waste coordinator, Hal Dobbins. “Chemicals like this can cause severe health problems if ingested or inhaled and don’t belong in household bins or down drains, where they can damage our waterways and harm marine life.

“Even seemingly harmless things like fluorescent light globes contain small amounts of mercury,” Dobbins added, “while batteries have toxic elements such as lead and cadmium.”

Pool chemicals, hydrocarbons, batteries, gas bottles, paints and pesticides were also among the problem wastes, with paints accounting for 73% of the collection.

Chemical-handling experts were on hand during the CleanOut to ensure no spillages occurred and everything was safely handled, stored and properly disposed of. Dobbins said some of the collected paints and chemicals will safely be used as an alternative fuel in cement kilns, while residual gas in gas bottles can be removed for industrial use.

“When they are handed in, acids and alkalines are neutralised,” he said. “Materials like cyanide and hydrogen peroxide are mixed with special substances that lock the toxins into granules so they won’t leach out. They are then disposed of in a controlled waste landfill.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore congratulated residents for utilising the free service and being environmentally responsible.

“This free and easy event is important to help safeguard our environment and allows residents to protect family members and neighbours who could be placed at risk from abandoned and unwanted chemicals,” she said.

To check the calendar of upcoming Household Chemical CleanOut events in NSW, visit http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/managewaste/house-chem-cleanout.htm.

Image courtesy of the City of Sydney.