The Public's View of Household Hazardous Waste

Abstract

Contamination of water, soil and air can sometimes be traced to improper disposal of residential household hazardous wastes. Almost every home produces some wastes that pose hazards if improperly disposed. One thousand Nebraskans were surveyed using a random sample selection to profile the attitudes and reported behavior regarding household hazardous waste management practices. The response rate was 49.8 percent with 494 questionnaires returned and a final sample of 474 householders. Most respondents (93.6 percent) reported that they had no community household hazardous waste collection programs. The majority (64.6 percent) agreed that their community should start a household hazardous waste program. However, there was a vast discrepancy in the amount the respondents said they were willing to pay for collection and the actual costs of collection programs. Only one-third reported that they were greatly reducing the type of products purchased that contribute to household hazardous waste. Respondents reported they were disposing of household hazardous waste in ways that may be harmful to the environment such as pouring on the ground, down the drain, or burning the wastes. They primarily placed the potentially hazardous waste in the trash for landfilling.