What is the correct way to deal with the disposal of typical household chemicals and which one are worth worrying about and treating special?
Automotive drain oil should obviously be taken to a drop-off site and lead-acid auto batteries are exchanged, but what about- brake fluid? antifreeze? paint thinner? paint? insecticide? herbicide? Alkaline batteries? Rechargable batteries?
Is there a website dedicated to explaining the environmental hazard and practical disposal of such items?
You wait for your city to have household hazardous waste collection day, may once or twice a year, and they go to great lengths to dispose of each thing correctly. It would be a LOT of trouble for you to do it right.
Provided your 'city' does so. There are more places in the U.S. that don't, then do.
Latex paint- open the can and let it dry out, then dispose in with your regular trash. I'm not 100% sure about oil-based, but I think you can pour kitty litter or such into the can, and then allow it to dry out. Dispose in your regular trash.
Rechargeable batteries- Radio Shack and Sears, among others, re-cycle them. They have a drop-off box in the store.
Have you checked your phone book? Many of them list what can, and can't, be taken to your local landfill/dump/transfer station. I've always seen it listed near the front. Also check the yellow pages and see what might be listed.
If you have a local farmers co-op or such, they might be of help for the insecticide/herbicide stuff.
Your local service station may be able to point you in the right direction for the auto related items.
A full service landfill or transfer site will have facilities for hazardous materials. Call your local landfill for instructions.
Most cities also have a household hazardous waste dropoff point that is open at least several times a month. Call your city solid waste department...
Or county (like here in MN) depending on where you live.
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