Great Acts for Great Lakes

Hazardous Materials Background - Hazardous Products and Waste in Schools

You may be surprised by how much hazardous material is in use or in storage in schools today.  Some of the common, hazardous materials include: pesticides, medicines, propane tanks, car batteries, rug shampoo, upholstery cleaners, furniture polishes, pool chemicals, paint stripper, paints and thinners, stains and finishes, bleach, used motor oil, floor wax, gas and metal polishes. Such hazardous materials may be present in the science classroom and science storage areas, in the art classrooms, and storage areas.

Hazardous materials should be labeled with identifying symbols to indicate that the product is corrosive, toxic, reactive or flammable, or the words - danger, poison, caution and warning. Hazardous materials should never be stored with proper labels: if you are concerned, contact your school board or the municipality's environment department.

Hazardous products require careful and attentive handling and precautions need to be taken. First, never pour them down the drain, bury them, burn them or put them in the garbage. If they are disposed of improperly, as above, they can contaminate ground water, soil and plants as well as create poisonous fumes and air pollution.  Second, minimize your use of hazardous products.  Try non-hazardous alternatives; use the correct amount; don’t purchase more products than you need; and give leftovers to someone else to use, but keep them in their original containers.

In order for your school to reduce or eliminate the amount of hazardous materials it generates, an attitude of "less is better" should be adopted. All students, teachers, administrative staff and custodial staff should be asking: "Is there a different way to do this that uses safer materials?" Reducing or eliminating the generation of hazardous wastes creates a healthier atmosphere for school occupants and the surrounding environment.

One of the best methods of approaching the use and storage of hazardous materials is to do a regular walk-through of different areas of the school (storage and office areas, equipment room, science and art classrooms, cafeteria, etc.) to identify what materials and products are used in the school. All hazardous products and supplies should be clearly labeled, used according to manufacturer’s instructions and stored properly. 

Where are hazardous materials found in schools?

Science Classroom: chemicals (i.e. mercury, acids), cleaning supplies

Storage Area: cleaning supplies, pesticides, floor wax, batteries, paint, road salt, light ballasts (may contain mercury), old batteries.

Art Classroom: paints, inks, cleaning supplies

Washrooms/Gymnasium:  cleaning and maintenance products and chemicals

Taking Action at School

Some ideas for reducing hazardous materials at your school include:

· Substitute environmentally friendly, non-toxic products wherever possible (i.e. water based paints, non-toxic cleaners).

· Reduce the quantity of hazardous materials stored at the school to the minimum necessary.

· Ensure chemicals are stored properly to avoid spills or accidents.  Designate a centralized place for chemical storage.  Install spill containment equipment in chemical storerooms.

· Buy only the amount of chemical needed to avoid having to dispose of extra, unused materials.

· Always use hazardous materials in a well-ventilated area.

· Never leave containers open while in use and seal them tightly to store.  Many products are volatile and evaporate quickly.

· Never mix chemicals.  They may explode or release dangerous fumes.

· Don’t fill chemical containers with another product.

· Use the minimum amount of chemical to complete the job.

· Use a first in first out system to keep the chemicals from becoming outdated.

· Return expired materials to suppliers.

· Substitute in-lab experiments with computer simulations or videos wherever possible.

For more ideas, visit the Pollution prevention page (link)