HANDLING TIPS

According to the NYC Before buying, using, or discarding potentially harmful products, consider the following.

Before Buying

Look for hazard levels on product labels. Look for signal words — DANGER and POISON indicate high-level hazards, while, WARNING and CAUTION represent lower levels. Pay attention to other messages on the label such as “causes burns on contact,” “vapors harmful,” or “extremely flammable.” These labels are required through the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for pesticides, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for cosmetics, and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act for all other hazardous substances. To go beyond the label, search online for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the specific product.
Don’t buy more than you need. Think about how much you’ll actually need in order to reduce how much you discard or store. It may be better to purchase smaller containers as needed rather than one large container, to avoid both spillage and excess material to dispose.
Consider environmentally preferable products. Many retailers sell alternative products that are organic or made with safer ingredients. There are even third-party or industry certifications such as Green Seal, EPEAT, and others to help you identify these products.

When Using

Follow product instructions. More is not better — you won’t get twice the results by using twice as much. Use products only as directed and only when necessary.
Never mix products or chemicals. This is especially true for ammonia and bleach, which can cause respiratory problems when combined. Store potentially harmful products out of the reach of children and pets. Use child-proof cabinet locks or containers.
Store potentially harmful products out of the reach of children and pets. Use child-proof cabinet locks or containers.

When Discarding

Double-bag before discarding. For the safety of Sanitation workers, please double-bag harmful products before discarding these products in your regular trash.
Recycle empty containers. Unless marked “DANGER — CORROSIVE,” empty glass or plastic bottles and all metal containers can be recycled through NYC’s recycling program.