It won't be long before people across the Bluegrass State put away their lawnmowers for the year. Waste-management experts say homeowners often find hazardous materials that need disposal during the transition from summer to winter.
Trish Radke, program coordinator and waste-management expert, said dumping hazardous chemicals down the sink or into a storm drain has serious health and environmental consequences.
"Water waste from our homes, it connects to city sewers and then it goes through wastewater-treatment facilities before it's discharged into rivers and streams," she explained. "And some hazardous products, they don't break down in those systems due to the chemical makeup. And so, it's really important not to be dumping them down the drain."
She said disposal in the regular garbage is also discouraged, as chemicals can be dangerous for sanitation workers who come into contact with the trash, or for other people and pets if materials leak. Any product that could be considered dangerous can be taken to a drop-off location where it can be disposed of safely.
Fertilizers, pesticides, deck stains and oil cans are among items that can be flammable and even explode in certain conditions. And Radke has tips to identify if other products are dangerous.
"When you're doing a clean-out, look for those labels that say ‘hazardous,’ ‘toxic,’ ‘flammable,’ those key words are going to help you determine if that's something that you need to think a little bit before you just put it in your regular trash or, certainly, before you would dump it down a drain," she said.
She said the same holds true for pool chemicals and some indoor cleaning products.