Hazardous materials, think before you toss

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Republic Services and Baton Rouge Fire Department ask folks to be mindful about their holiday trash.

Holiday trash can build up, but before tossing an item think twice. Some items are not safe to throw away in the trash can.

“You may think of them because you use them every day, that they are okay to just put them in the trash, but they may mix with something else and cause a problem for you in the home,” explains Justin Hill with Baton Rouge Fire Department.

Hill says batteries are one of the most common items thrown away when they should not be, that goes for lithium and alkaline batteries, and that’s not all.

“Rechargeable batteries, household cleaning supplies, paint and things like that. Things that you shouldn’t be putting in the trash. It’s not just a fire hazard, it’s also a hazard to the people collecting the trash as well. Just be mindful of the things that we are putting in the trash, read the labels on the stuff before you throw it out or the packaging that the stuff comes in, generally, gives you information on how to dispose of it properly,” explains Hill.

WAFB also spoke with the trash company, Republic Services, they say crews see a 40% increase in trash right after the holiday season, including some things that should not go into the regular trash can, like electronics or cardboard boxes. Instead, they are asking folks to break down their cardboard boxes and try to recycle them.

There are places where you can drop off hazardous items in EBR, if interested.

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