Why your TV is a health hazard

Refrigerators are perhaps the most common, but people also ask about televisions, computers, paint, chemicals and even batteries.

What do all these items have in common? These everyday objects are now classed as hazardous waste.

Many of these items find their way into landfill sites by people disposing of these in the normal waste (although it would be difficult to hide a refrigerator in a black sack!).

For some hazardous waste streams, the amount collected would be infinitesimally small and therefore sending these items to landfill may be the most benign environmental solution (as per the old adage, "the solution to pollution is dilution").

However, despite the fact that waste from domestic premises is not treated as hazardous unless it is collected separately, most councils provide facilities to help the householder dispose of hazardous waste safely.

The main sources of hazardous waste in the home are waste electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, pesticides, paints, oil, fluorescent tubes, medicines and wood preservatives.

Some of these items are thrown away when they break down or are used up, but some may be only partially used and stored for some considerable time before being thrown away during a clear-out.

It has been estimated that household hazardous waste accounts for approximately 3.6kg per household per year.

Since households may be disposing of up to one tonne of waste per year, hazardous waste therefore represents a fairly small fraction of the total, albeit a fraction that has the potential to cause pollution.