Resources for HHW programs

Find lists of all program contacts and facility locations, along with fact sheets or other educational resources that can be customized for any program or location around Minnesota.

General information

• Household Hazardous Waste Regional Program Managers and MPCA Contacts (w-hhw5-20)
• Metropolitan County Household Hazardous Waste Program Contacts (w-hhw5-21)
• Collecting and managing household mercury thermometers (April 2002)
• Disaster Response Plan for Household Hazardous Waste Regional Programs
• Fireworks and/or Road Flare Processing for Household Hazardous Waste Facilities
• Mercury-containing product handout (w-hhw5-52)
• Mercury-containing product images (w-hhw5-51)

Very Small Quantity Generator Program Materials (VSQG)

• VSQG Collection Program Requirements and Instructions (w-hw2-50)
• VSQG Collection Program Requirements for Generators and List of Licensed Programs [#2.51]
• Starting a Very Small Quantity Generator Hazardous Waste Collection Program [#2.52]
• Transportation Requirements for HHWs Starting a VSQG Collection Program [#2.53]
• Example Shipping Paper for VSQGs Transporting to a VSQG Collection Program (#2.53b)
• Application to dispose of business-generated hazardous waste at a licensed VSQG consolidation program
• How to help a business obtain an HW ID number
• Transportation Guidelines for VSQG Collection Programs (w-hw2-54b)

How to dispose of used or unwanted pesticides.

Statewide collections by Department of Agriculture and local HHW programs.

Managing pharmaceutical wastes

As leftover and waste pharmaceuticals get flushed down drains, studies show that they are part of an increasingly complex brew of chemicals being detected in Minnesota rivers and streams. This has raised questions about hormone disruption, antibiotic resistance and other concerns, leaving many to wonder just how should we be dealing with pharmaceutical wastes. Learn more about the problems associated with pharmaceutical management and some possible solutions.

• Health care industry resources - include links and fact sheets on management and prevention of pollution from pharmaceuticals.
• Discussion Paper on Pharmaceutical Disposal to Sewer Systems (February 2005), Emerging Contaminants Workgroup of the Santa Clara Basin Watershed Management Initiative.
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Endocrine Disrupting Compound Monitoring Study: Preliminary progress report to the Legislature The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency studied the effluent from 25 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to obtain a more complete picture of the types and amounts of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) released into the state’s surface water. Preliminary results show that pharmaceuticals, triclosan, nonylphenol, nonylphenol ethoxylates, octylphenol, octylphenol ethoxylates, bisphenol A, and hormones were detected in the water samples, mostly in effluent from the plants. Complete analytical results for this portion of the study will be available by June 1, 2010.

Introduction to the St. Louis County Household Hazardous Waste Program

St. Louis County introduces its HHW facility, including a virtual walk-through of how it works.

Air monitoring study

• The MPCA conducted a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Air Monitoring project in January 2006. The study provided an overview of the air sampling results and recommendations applicable to the HHW facilities evaluated. The data can be used by other HHW facilities to evaluate employee exposures. The project was a follow-up to the industrial hygiene study conducted in 1996 by the Industrial Hygiene Department at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health. Both studies evaluated worker exposure to solvents while bulking wastes (oil base paints, fuels, flammables, and aerosols) to determine if current personal protective measures are adequate. Data in the 2006 study supported past sampling conducted. In summary, the inhalation of organic vapors does not pose a risk to HHW employees, if proper procedures followed. Contact Teresa Gilbertson (507-476-4254), MPCA HHW staff, for a copy of the air monitoring summary document.

Education

• HHW Learning Trunk will help educators (both formal and informal) explain the importance of proper use, storage, disposal, and safety information of household hazardous products. Activities and lesson plans will help students identify household hazardous products and read product labels; learn how hazardous products can affect their health, and identify signal words to determine the least hazardous product.
• Household reference guides by topic.
• Use our HHW toolkit of ready-made images, ads, clip art, articles and messages to help market your program.

Links

• Product Stewardship Institute
  The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) is a national non-profit membership-based organization. PSI works with state and local government agencies to partner with manufacturers, retailers, environmental groups, federal agencies, and other key stakeholders to reduce the health and environmental impacts of consumer products. PSI takes a unique product stewardship approach to solving waste management problems by encouraging product design changes and mediating stakeholder dialogues.