Hazardous waste
In the end, all the products
and equipment we buy and use will end up as waste.
When we throw something
away, any harmful chemicals it contains will end up in the
environment: in the air and water, and moving through food chains to
plants, fish and mammals. Unfortunately, many dangerous chemicals
also end up in our bodies via our food, air and drinking water.
Obviously, the less waste we
produce, the better it is for the environment. So perhaps you should
stop and think before throwing something away. Could it be repaired
and last a little longer? Perhaps someone else would be happy to use
the things you no longer want? Flea markets and second-hand shops
will take anything from old toys to sofas and china.
There are more organized
re-use systems for some types of products. For example, Fretex and
UFF collect second-hand clothes and footwear.
But we will always have to
throw away some waste. It can be useful to know about collection and
recycling schemes, and which kinds of products they cover. These
schemes have been set up to make sure that any valuable substances
in waste are recovered and to prevent harmful chemicals from
polluting the environment.
Electrical and electronic
equipment may contain a variety of
harmful chemicals. All of these products can be delivered to dealers
who sell the same type of goods. In other words, you can deliver a
television set to the nearest TV dealer, computer equipment to the
computer store, electronic toys to a toy shop, and so on.
Fridges and freezers
that are more than 10 years old usually contain a CFC
(chlorofluorocarbon) coolant. These gases deplete the ozone layer.
If you buy a new product, you can deliver the old one to the dealer.
If not, you can deliver the old one free of charge to the
municipality. Discarded fridges and freezers are sent to facilities
where the CFCs are collected and destroyed.
Ordinary small batteries
can be thrown away with the rest of the household waste.
Car and boat batteries
(lead accumulators) can be delivered to any dealer or to municipal
collection points.
Rechargeable batteries
must be delivered to a dealer, who is required to accept them free
of charge. The same applies to button batteries.
Hazardous waste
means waste that may cause serious pollution if is not dealt with
properly. It includes oil products, paints and varnishes,
fluorescent lighting, low-energy light bulbs, powerful cleaning
products and pesticides.
Every municipality is
required to provide collection points for hazardous waste. These
vary from one place to another. In many places, hazardous waste can
be delivered to unmanned collection points at petrol stations.
If you are unsure about
whether or not your waste is hazardous, take it along to the
collection point. It is better to deliver too much than too little.
If you have insulating
windows from 1965-1975, the adhesive used to seal them probably
contains PCBs. This means that they are classified as hazardous
waste and must be delivered to an appropriate facility. Contact the
Norwegian Pollution Control Authority.
In addition, most
municipalities have collection points for paper, glass and metal,
and some also for plastics and various types of
construction waste.
|
