Wondering what to do with your household cleaner hazardous waste? The Recycling Council of BC put together a useful media kit and reference guide you can read here in your browser, and/or download and print to keep handy at home/work. It helps you identify toxic and hazardous products, tells you how to dispose of them and gives you recipes to create your own natural, non-toxic alternatives.

Toxics Toolkit

Something to keep in mind when considering the harmful effects of household cleaners are disposable items like disposable dust cloths, disinfecting wipes, and one-use toilet wands which create more waste and toxic garbage for our landfills. What ever happened to reusing old towels as rags and a broom, mop and bucket to clean the floor? Companies create these new disposable products under the pretense that they are easier to use and more effective because they want you to keep spending.

A traditional toilet brush costs around $10 and can last for years, but if you purchase the Clorox Toilet Wand System you can expect to pay $3 for a refill pack of six. If you clean your toilet once a week, that’s $27 a year you would otherwise not be spending. It might not seem like much, but add to that the Swiffer wet, dry, and duster as well as the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and all of the other products on the market and your cleaning costs have gone up a lot.

Here’s a tip: white vinegar is a superb cleaning agent and kills most germs, molds, and bacteria due to its level of acidity. Click here for 1001 uses for it, cleaning and otherwise.