While a spring clean generally conjures up images of cleaning out your closet, there is much more to house cleaning than that. Often, certain items are overlooked in deep cleans, and chemicals are perhaps the biggest one. It simply stacks up in the back of your cupboard or the garage and shed; you’ll worry about it some other time. That never seems to come to fruition, but the pile seems to grow. If only there were an easy way to dispose of those household chemicals safely.
What Is A Council Clean Up Or Collection?
Each year, councils across NSW hold Household Chemical Clean-Up events. These events are held throughout the year, and their purpose is to provide you with an opportunity to dispose of chemicals safely. Many household chemicals can cause harm to both the environment and human health if they are not correctly disposed of. Often, people pour chemicals down drains, into storm drains, toss them out with the rubbish, or even pour them into the soil. This can cause physical harm to the person pouring it. It can harm people in the area, pets in the area, and also contaminate land, drinking water, and wastewater.
These chemical clean up events are organised by regional waste groups, in conjunction with the EPA. Provided you find a date and site in your region, you can attend from any council area. However, it is always wise to reach out to the host council to be sure there aren’t restrictions in place.
What You Can Take To The Chemical Clean Up
The Council’s Chemical Clean-Up is designed for household items and chemicals. Therefore, there is a limit to the size of items you can dispose of. For a single item, the limit is either 20 kilograms or 20 litres. For larger items, you need to enlist professional services.
So, what can you take to your local clean up?
- Ammonia-based cleaners
- Pool chemicals
- Household cleaners
- Household solvents
- Herbicides
- Pesticides
- Varnishes
- Thinners
- Motor fuel
- Motor oil
- Floorcare Products
- Hobby chemicals
- Garden chemicals
- Poisons
- Gas bottles
- Smoke detectors
- Household batteries
- Car batteries
- Alkalis
- Acids
- Cooking oil
- Fire extinguishers
- Fluorescent tubes or globes
- Paint or related products
What You Can Do If Your Items Aren’t Accepted
Commercial waste is not as simple and if you are dealing with commercial levels of chemicals or waste you are better off enlisting the help of a professional rubbish removal service like Cheapest Load of Rubbish.
Remember, chemicals are hazardous, so it’s crucial to handle and transport them safely and carefully. Do not mix chemicals together as they can produce toxic reactions. It’s always best to keep each chemical in its original container. These containers should be well-sealed and labelled clearly. If you are unsure of the contents of a container, it should be clearly labelled as Unknown Chemical. Liquids are prone to leaking, especially during transport.
To protect against this, wrap each liquid container with newspaper before depositing them in their own plastic bag. You should keep them in the boot of your vehicle to ensure they are as far away from passengers as possible. When you load them into your boot, place each wrapped and secured container in a plastic bucket or tray.
Additionally, you should reach out to your council before you attend to ensure they accept all of the items you plan to dispose of. If the items you need to dispose of are not accepted, such as asbestos, at your local Chemical Clean Up, you can contact local disposal sites or companies who may be able to direct you to the correct drop-off point. Alternatively, you can use a professional service to remove those items and dispose of them properly on your behalf.
How Cheapest Load of Rubbish Can Help
Now that you’re clearing out your chemicals, you might as well clear out old or broken furniture and other waste cluttering your home. You don’t need to worry about which item should be disposed of where. Not when Cheapest Load of Rubbish can handle it for you. All you need to do is decide what to clear out. Once you’ve decided what items to part with, Cheapest Load of Rubbish can collect it and ensure it’s disposed of correctly. We can remove commercial or residential rubbish, mattresses, furniture, fridge-freezers, junk, hard waste, and more.
It’s one less thing for you to worry about. Contact us now if you would like to know more about what we handle, or to get a free quote for rubbish removal Sydney. One of our drivers will arrive on-site and give you a quote for the type and volume of rubbish you have to dispose of. If you’re happy with the quote they can take it away on the spot! It could even be as soon as today.
