City of Sydney cleans out household chemicals

The City of Sydney took part in the Household Chemical CleanOut earlier this month, collecting more than 27 tonnes of unwanted hazardous materials from residents.

CleanOut is a free service for the safe disposal of a range of common household chemicals which could cause harm to human health and the environment if not disposed correctly. Events are held all over NSW at specified dates throughout the year, with chemical-handling experts on hand to ensure there are no spillages and everything is safely handled, stored and disposed of.

The City of Sydney received 526 individual drop-offs at the event, including 50 litres of cyanide and hydrogen peroxide as well as hydrocarbons, acid, batteries, gas bottles, paints and pesticides. The City’s Zero Waste coordinator, Hal Dobbins, noted that substances like cyanide are “extremely hazardous” and “don’t belong in household bins or down drains, where they can damage our waterways and harm marine life”.

“Even seemingly harmless things like fluorescent light globes contain small amounts of mercury, while batteries have carcinogenic elements such as lead and cadmium,” he added.

Dobbins further said that unwanted paints and chemicals can be safely used as an alternative fuel in cement kilns, and residual gas in gas bottles can be removed for industrial use.

“When they are handed in, acids and alkalines are neutralised,” he explained. “Cyanide and hydrogen peroxide are mixed with special substances that lock in the toxins into granules so that they won’t leach out. They are then disposed of in a controlled waste landfill.”

Lord Mayor Clover Mayor congratulated residents for utilising the free service and being environmentally responsible. She said the event is “important to protect our environment, and allows residents to do the right thing by family members and neighbours who could be placed at risk from abandoned and unwanted chemicals”.

The City will be holding an e-waste recycling day on 7 September. Computers, mobile phones, cameras and other unwanted electronic goods can be dropped off on the day at Bay St Depot, Ultimo.