Almost every home contains hazardous products, or products that can harm human health or the environment if improperly handled. They are products used in cleaning, home improvements, automobile maintenance, lawn and garden care, hobbies, and a variety of other tasks. 

Each year, thousands of people are injured by exposure or accident involving hazardous household products.  Because of the dangers they pose, these products require special awareness, handling, and disposal.  In order to protect health and environment, every consumer should know how to properly use, store, and dispose of hazardous household products.  An extensive list of educational resources that can be downloaded from this site is provided below.

The Household Hazardous Waste Project (HHWP) promotes promotes the safe use, storage and disposal of hazardous materials by educating consumers to

  • identify and avoid potentially hazardous products
  • buy only what is needed, use it up completely or share leftovers with someone who can use it
  • recycle those materials that can be recycled, and
  • dispose of leftover or unwanted products through hazardous waste collection facilities.

    HHWP has produced a variety of educational materials to assist individuals, unregulated businesses, and communities in dealing with hazardous materials.

     
GUIDE SHEETS

These guide sheets answer commonly asked question about household hazardous products and provide guidelines for safe use, storage and disposal.
  1. Household Hazardous Products
  2. Identifying Product Hazards: Material Safety Data  Sheets
  3. Safe Use, Storage and Disposal of Paint
  4. Safe Use, Storage and Disposal of Pesticides
  5. Selecting Household Safety Equipment
  6. Store Hazardous Products Safely
  7. Stored Waste Abatement Program: SWAP 
  8. Storm Drains and Water Quality
  9. Home Hazardous Product Survey
  10. What Your Home Haz
  11. Managing Household Hazardous Waste
TECHNICAL BULLETINS

These bulletins provide regulatory, technical and management information.  The regulatory information is specific to Missouri. It is important to check your own state regulations if you are accessing this site from outside Missouri. 
  1. Setting Up a Used Oil Collection Site
  2. Setting Up a Used Antifreeze Collection Site
  3. Setting Up a Used Latex Paint Collection Site
YOUTH EDUCATION

Follow this link for household hazardous waste educational resources for Students & Teachers.
Links to Other Resources:
 

    Virtual House, a collaboration with the University of Missouri Extension, EPA Region VII, and Purdue University, is an interactive web site providing information on hazardous products. Visitors can tour the rooms of the Virtual House and click on products typically found there to learn more about a product's hazard, personal protection, safer alternatives, and best management practices.

    Help Yourself to a Healthy Home protect your children's health, is a 24-page booklet that can help you make sure your home is a safe and healthy place to be. Spanish and English version available on-line.

    Water-related Missouri-specific Home*A*Syst guides. Scroll down to the Home*A*Syst publications.

North American Hazardous Materials Management Association

Missouri Department of Natural Resources Technical Assistance Program (TAP)

Washington Toxics Coalition

The Environmental Hotline:Earth's 911

BIRC - The Integrated Pest Managment(IPM)Specialists

NCAP - Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides

Office of Waste Management
owm@missouri.edu
Last modified: November 30, 2005
University of Missouri Extension does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, religion, age, disability or status as a Vietnam-era veteran in employment or programs.