Our summer reading program this year is dedicated to the world's oceans and water supplies. Only about 1% of the world's water is drinkable and every living being needs water. Meanwhile, the Great Lakes account for more than 22% of the world's fresh water supply. It is an incredibly valuable resource that we have been made stewards of by living in the Midwest. It's time we take a look at what we can do to keep it healthy and usable. As such, we are taking a look at some of the things we can do to help take care of our waterways. Every week this summer we will be taking a look at some of the little things we can do to keep our waters clean, healthy, and usable, maintain the ecosystem, and in general do our part to take care of our planet. Let's take a look:
Around the House
You've heard the phrase "Charity begins in the home?" Water conservation does as well. Our first several posts of this series deal in things you can do around the house. We'll look at some easy changes you can put into effect that can have a significant impact on the quality of our drinking water and waterways.
#3 - Reduce Your Hazardous Waste
Yup, you heard me. We have our own hazardous waste. It comes in forms that don't look like enormous barrels with hazard symbols on them. That is commercial and/or theatrical. The stuff in our homes are things we don't necessarily think about on a daily basis, possibly unless you have very little kids. Think drain cleaner, furniture polish, florescent light bulbs, batteries... Somewhat essential to our daily life but hazardous to the environment when discarded. So the first part is recognizing what is hazardous waste.
What is Household Hazardous Waste (HHW, as it is often abbreviated)? HHW is comprised of products used in and around your home that have one or more of the following characteristics: Corrosivity; Toxicity; Flammability; Reactivity. According to one source, this represents 1% of all household waste, or about 30 pounds per household per year (about the size of a medium-sized dog). While some are somewhat self-explanatory or that you might have heard of before like Drano or batteries, many of these items you might not have thought about like nail polish, glue, and pet supplies. Here is a breakdown of HHW:
So with all this toxic waste, it might seem like an uphill battle, like there is nothing to be done. Most of us aren't going to try to figure out how to become Amish or seek to become an off-the-grid survivalist, doing away with all of these in one fell swoop. We need to find a middle ground. We need to determine what we can reduce and still maintain our modern and convenient way of life. Here's a link to year-round hazardous waste collection areas near you. But first let's take a look at a few of the simple changes we can do.
Using white (like Elmer's) or yellow wood glue instead of solvent-suspended glues means fewer chemicals and easier disposal.
Sprinkle chili powder, talcum powder, or chalk along the places ants enter your residence. While a little controversial to some, especially as none of these actually kill the ants, they do disrupt the pheromone trail and cause them discomfort. It can discourage their and similar pests' presence. Also, these methods are safe for pets as well.
There are a number of safer alternatives to bleach. Some of them you would already have in your house such as vinegar, baking soda, or hydrogen peroxide, two out of three of those can also work as disinfectants while the middle can work as a fabric softener replacement. And don't get me started on the bleaching capabilities of sunlight.
A mixture of baking soda and vinegar works wonders. If you ever made a baking soda volcano in grade school, you've seen these two in action. Much like how a chemical drain cleaner expands into a dense foam in the pipes, mixing two parts baking soda to one part vinegar will quickly clear out those blockages. Just finish up with some hot water down the drain to flush everything away once the reaction has done its job.
Baking soda and vinegar are by far a fan favorite. They seem to have an infinite number of uses around the house. Here again, using some combination of baking soda, baking soda and salt, or baking soda and vinegar as a replacement for the harsh chemicals of traditional oven cleaners and possible staining from the self-clean system.
I promise you this isn't an ad for baking soda or vinegar. It just so happens that they are excellent cleaning products. Spray the bowl with vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes before sprinkling with baking soda and scrubbing. One is an excellent disinfectant and the other a wonderful deodorizer and they work together to amplify their effectiveness. There are a number of other substances to consider, but this is a great starting point.
I know there are a number of you that are really into gardening. And so I know that those of you that do know how much of a pest pests can be. Luckily there are tons of solutions to your infestation situation. Marigolds around the boarder are said to deter certain pests while spraying vegetable oil or a mild soapy water solution on leaves halts others. There are also certain herb powders that when sprayed can keep a host of critters away. This is in addition to more chancy materials like deer / rabbit blood or other slightly more difficult materials to come by. If you have a particular pest in mind, I would suggest doing a little research. My guess is you will find quite a few solutions to your problem.
Bottom Line
There are so many alternatives to most hazardous materials found in the home. This site hosted by the city of Madison has a number of additional options. Feel free to check them out.
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