That quarter can of paint that has been in the garage for years, blown fluorescent tubes, and out-of-date chemicals? Now is the time to get rid of them safely. CleanOut is a government-organised free service that allows you to safely dispose most household chemicals that can cause serious harm to our environment.
CleanOut Event dates for 2014 are coming up, so it is almost time to collect your items and head over to the nearest event. Most of these events are open to all NSW residents, so you have more than one chance to get rid of these chemicals.
Dates to remember
Here are the relevant dates for our JEDI Plumbing clients in Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches:
Warringah: 6th and 7th September 2014 at the Warringah Aquatic Centre car park (Frenchs Forest)
Willoughby: 22nd and 23rd November 2014 at the Bicentennial Reserve car park (Willoughby)
Timings: 9.00am to 3.30pm on both days
Check with your local council to confirm the dates and timings before you attend. You can also get more information from the Environment Line (131 555).
What can you CleanOut?
The CleanOut programmes are intended for household quantities (up to 20kg or 20L per item). The items accepted include:
- Most household cleaners including floor cleaners, solvents and ammonia-based cleaners
- Fluorescent lights – globes or tubes
- Paints and related products
- Pesticides and herbicides including poisons
- Acids, alkalis and other hobby chemicals
- Pool cleaning chemicals
- Fire extinguishers and gas bottles
- Car batteries, motor fluids, oils and fuels
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has advised participating members of the public to exercise caution when transporting these chemicals. Their guidelines suggest the following:
- Keep the chemicals in their original containers wrapped in rags or newspapers. Put these in plastic bags placed in buckets to avoid spilling.
- Label all chemicals clearly. If unknown, label it as ‘unknown chemical’. Do not mix different chemicals as this may cause harmful fumes or even explosions.
- Keep these in the boot of your vehicle.
Not down your drains
It can be tempting to throw chemicals or oils down the drain especially if they are in very small quantities. But even though our treatment plants treat wastewater, these hazardous chemicals still enter our waterways and cause great environmental degradation.
Even more damage can be caused by pouring chemicals like motor oils or paints down your outdoor drains. These run-offs come under stormwater which is not treated, but directly enter our waterways.
It is best to store all such chemicals and hazardous wastes and dispose of these through CleanOut programmes. Ideally, we should be reducing our use of toxic chemicals and switching to eco-friendly alternatives.
Not in your garbage
Again, if these chemicals do not belong down the drains, they do not go in your garbage either. Having a large quantity of toxic chemicals end up in landfills is also damaging to our environment.
Clogged drains or broken septic systems
Using your sink or toilet as a garbage disposal unit is not only harmful to our planet, but it also results in clogged drains and toilets, or damaged or broken pipes.
Excess use of chlorine bleaches and acid-based cleaners might also cause damage to your septic system – requiring expensive repairs.
Following good practices like using sink strainers to catch food scraps, wiping greasy pots with paper towels before washing them, disposing of kitchen oils and fats in the garbage bin, and using lesser amounts of detergents and cleaning chemicals, can help keep your pipes and sewer system in good condition – and preserve our waterways from degradation.
Timely repairs
Doing maintenance and repairs in time are also essential to prevent more expensive problems. Our team at JEDI Plumbing is available for all plumbing repairs in Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches – dripping taps, clogged drains or burst pipes. Call us on 0411 774 381 for all minor or major plumbing jobs.