Need A Chemical Clean Out?
Every now and again you might find yourself with old cleaning products such as bleach that you no longer need, or are leftover from a certain task.
Often, these are materials that you shouldn’t try to dispose of yourself as they can pose a hazard to human and environmental health.
If you’re in New South Wales, you can make use of the CleanOut program. This is a government program that allows you to dispose of potentially hazardous materials for free. Some are common household items that you may not even realise you should be disposing of in this way.
Materials suitable for CleanOut
CleanOut will accept a maximum of 20 litres or 20 kilograms of a single item from households.
Household cleaners, solvents, ammonia-based cleaners as well as fluorescent globes and tubes are items that should be disposed of currently.
Paint and other paint products, pesticides, herbicides, poisons, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, pool chemicals, hobby chemicals, acids and alkalis are more substances that you can bring to CleanOut to dispose of.
Car batteries, motor oils, fuels and fluids are also included in collection.
How to get your goods to CleanOut
CleanOut collections are hosted at various locations around New South Wales throughout the year, providing a range of dates and city and regional drop-offs so you can find one that works for you.
When transporting your chemicals to the location, be sure never to mix them up as this can cause dangerous reactions.
When possible, keep chemicals in their original containers, labelled and sealed and mark any “unknown chemicals” as such.
Even when sealed in a container, make sure that you put them in plastic bags and then trays while transporting them, in case of a leak.
Drive with them away from passengers, such in the boot or any empty back seat.
Next time, consider switching to eco friendly products for your cleaning needs instead. You can make your own cleaners at home with ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice, and salt, or you could purchase organic, plant-based products.
