How to dispose of cleaning products?
We are no stranger to the number of chemicals within everyday cleaning products. Showing off our intense cleaning routines within the bathroom/kitchen across social media. However, the vast of toxic chemicals used can be deadly damaging to our environment. So how do we dispose of cleaning products at home?
9 time out of 10 you should be reading the back of your cleaning product labels to see how to correctly dispose of the chemicals. The back of the bottle is going to be the best source of knowledge telling you everything you need to know about that particular product.
Disposing of your cleaning product solutions
If you’re buying cleaning products, always try and use all of the solution, to avoid wasting the product as well as disposing of unnecessary chemicals. As well as this, it is recommended to only purchase the amount you will need to clean correctly. You do not need 5 different products to clean a toilet or sink.
However, if you do find yourself in a position where you need to dispose of cleaning products make sure to not pour any toxic chemicals down the sink, these chemicals can contaminate water supplies.
Knowing if your cleaning products are toxic or hazardous, again, can be checked on the back of the cleaning bottle. You can also check safety data sheets for extra advice and guidance.
Sustainable products benefit the environment in every way, they also benefit you by being a lot kinder on your skin as well as not giving off toxic smells, sometimes making it difficult to breathe when cleaning a surface.
Some eco friendly alternatives to toxic chemicals
Bio-D All Purpose Sanitiser Spray
Bio-D Multi Purpose Sanitiser Spray is a convenient, Multi-Purpose Cleaner for use on all hard surfaces. Just squirt, wait and wipe.
Anti-Bacterial Bamboo Wipes
Plastic-free wipes are made from sustainable Bamboo and is naturally hypoallergenic. Kind to your skin but tough on germs.
Being cautious of toxic chemicals
When disposing of cleaning products, it is always important to check to see if the chemical is toxic. These types of chemicals should be handled carefully and disposed off with even more caution.
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are best to check to see what type of chemical is in your bottle as well as the correct way to dispose it.
Hazardous chemicals are categorised into three different areas:
- Always hazardous
- Never hazardous
- May or may not be hazardous
Any cleaning product with the above symbol should never be poured down a sink or drain. Instead follow the manufacturer’s instructions or using a professional waste collection service.
Pouring these chemicals down the drain can be deadly to our environment and contaminate our water supply.
You can find your local waste collection service here: https://www.gov.uk/hazardous-waste-disposal
Disposing of your cleaning product containers
After you have disposed of your cleaning product, you will be left with a container that the product came in. Always check the back of the container to check whether it can be recycled. If it can be recycled, make sure to place it into the correct household recycling bin.
https://www.gov.uk/recycling-collections check your local recycling collections and which recycling bin you need.
Alternatively you can always find a way to repurpose the container, this could be using it for a number of different ways!
Check out one of our team members using 5 litre cleaning containers for potting his plants in!
Alternatively, why not keep the empty containers and find your local refilling station to help reduce the amount of plastic used and also save money. Most refill shops/centres will source all the cleaning products you need.
We recommend The Cleaning Cabinet (based in the East midlands, UK).
