Disposal of Hazardous Waste in our Homes

Did you ever have that client who has saved almost every item they ever purchased? We all have experienced this in some form or another. I had a client whose parents passed away, so they became responsible for getting the house in shape to get on the market to sell quickly. As you can probably guess, the parents lived in the same home for over 50 years! Aside from going through each and every item in the home and having members of the family taking what they want, they came across a lot of chemical products in the garage and had no idea how to go about getting rid of them. They did talk with a guy who said he'd come in for a price and "clean the whole thing out". But when I approached my client with some questions about HOW this guy would clean things out, she didn't have any answers. This presented a very large red flag in my mind, hence the need to write this blog.

With so many household cleaners, degreasers, and pesticides out there for us to buy and use around the home, we have to take into account many things when we talk about "getting rid of them" quickly. Some household cleaners can be used up in order to rid the bottles of the contents, which is better than pouring them down the drain! But others hazardous waste products are not as simple. Leftover painting supplies, automobile products, outdoor lawn & garden supplies, and indoor/outdoor pesticides are some of the more serious items that require smart thinking and investigation before they are disposed of. They need to be disposed of properly and carefully according to state and federal regulations. Here are a few tips to follow when you come across clients who need to rid their homes of potentially dangerous chemicals.

In the Roanoke area we have the "Roanoke Valley Resource Authority". The Authority owns the Tinker Creek Transfer Station, the Smith Gap Landfill, and the Waste Line Express train. Every locality should provide its residents with information about the disposal of waste products online.

• First, provide your client with solid information about the disposal of household chemicals in your area. Don't just assume your client will jump on the internet highway to get the information. Please have available hard copy literature that they can read and check off if necessary.
• You will find that most junk removal and moving companies will NOT handle the disposal of chemical waste products. That is why it's so important to physically hand clients the information! In the Roanoke area you can visit http://www.final-touchdesigns.com/resources.htm. Scroll down for the PDF to print and hand out to clients, or call the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority (540-857-5071).
• If you or your client does know of someone who handles the disposal of household chemicals, use this article as a foundation for asking questions. Ask the person specific questions as to where, when, and how they will dispose of the items. If they can't answer the questions, then they should not be hired to remove anything hazardous from the home!
• Don't leave it up to the homeowner to guess what they need to do. If disposed of incorrectly, these hazardous chemicals can leach into our soil and water systems and cause serious health problems for the members of your community. If you don't provide the correct information, who will?
• Certain areas will only accept certain items on a daily basis and only within their hours of operation. Other hazardous items may require pre-registration or authorization before items can be brought in to be disposed of.
• There may be maximum quantities allowed per visit. This may mean many trips to the site and thought about how the items will be stored until they can be taken in. If someone is hired to collect the items from the home, a question about adequate temperature controlled storage may be in order.
• When dealing with older homes, you will likely be dealing with many old containers of numerous products and substances. Always encourage safety precautions when handling these things. Wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, closed shoes, gloves, and safety glasses is always a smart way to work on these projects. You never know when a corroded container is going to spring a leak once picked up or moved!

One definition of sustainability: "A sustainable way of life is one in which human needs are met without diminishing the ability of other people, wild species, or future generations to survive." I hope this information will be shared amongst Real Estate professionals and Home Stagers. As a green company, we are always looking for ways to preserve our planet and continue to enjoy what we have. It is everyone's responsibility to insure that our planet has the capacity to endure. It is everyone's responsibility to help others learn how this can be done.

At Final Touch Designs, we do everything from assisting home sellers in preparing their homes beautifully in order to facilitate a faster, more profitable sale, to assisting home buyers in adding their own character and personality to their spaces, and assisting anyone who wants to become and stay more organized in their home or place of business. We offer many other great services as well. Please visit us at www.final-touchdesigns.com for more information, tips, and ideas to turn your ordinary house into an extraordinary home!

Cathy Dick

www.final-touchdesigns.com

Roanoke, VA