household hazardous waste disposal

when it comes to household hazardous waste, there's some handy information on brisbane city council's website about what sorts of things you can and can't dispose of via the normal rubbish bin collection. according to this page, it's important to know how to dispose of such waste properly, because:

1. disposing of them improperly (eg. via the rubbish bin) creates a hazard for waste collectors, sorters, and the environment.
2. not disposing of them at all (ie. keeping them in your home) creates a hazard for yourself or others who may come into contact with them.

some tips i was able to make use of recently in relation to this topic:

• small amounts of paint can be disposed by pouring the paint over newspaper and left to dry, then the newspaper thrown into the bin (as per pics below)
• the now empty paint tin (with minimal residual paint) can be recycled / thrown in the recycling bin
• CFLs and flourescent tubes can be thrown into the rubbish bin if wrapped in newspaper or put in the original box (or the box your replacement bulb/tube came in).

Initial pouring of paint

Paint spread out to dry