Hazardous household waste


For safety and environmental reasons, the following items should not be disposed of through your bin or kerbside collections. Read below for ways to dispose of these items.

See also www.livinggreener.gov.au for more information on managing hazardous household waste.

Chemicals

Chemical CleanOut days are a joint initiative between Hornsby Shire Council and the Department of Environment and Climate Change and Water NSW.

During 2009-2010, close to 2000 residents safely disposed of approximately 75 tonnes of chemicals through Chemical CleanOut days.

Chemical Clean OutThe following household chemicals can be disposed of free of charge:

  • Paint and paint related products
  • Pesticides and herbicides
  • Solvents and household cleaners
  • Oils, fuels and gas bottles
  • Batteries
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Pool and hobby chemicals
  • Acids and alkalis
  • Incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs and tubes

To find out when the next Chemical CleanOut day is scheduled for Hornsby Shire call Council's Waste Hotline on 9847 4856. For all other locations and dates call the Environment Line on 131 555, visit the Chemical CleanOut website, or download Chemical CleanOut flyer - 345kb.

Alternatively, your nearest Waste Management Centre may accept chemicals for a fee. For more information visit the WSN Environment Solutions website or phone 1300 651 116.

As part of a national framework Hornsby Council is participating in an Australia-wide campaign to raise community awareness of the national security risks posed by some everyday chemicals. For more information visit www.chemicalsecurity.gov.au.

Non toxic cleaning

To reduce the number of chemicals kept around your home, why not try non toxic cleaning? It's easy and safer for you and your family.


Why use natural cleaning agents?


Eliminating or reducing toxic chemicals from your home can have a positive impact on your health and make your home a safer place to live. Start by reading the ingredients list on a cleaning bottle that you have. Can you read the list? Do you know what each ingredient is? What is the warning on the label? Are they safe? Are they necessary?


Environmental degradation - The use of common household cleaners is responsible for placing many hundreds of chemicals into our immediate living environment.

Health - More people are developing allergic reactions, chemical sensitivites, and just plain toxic overload, than ever before. Chemicals tend to linger in the air and get into our lungs, and are absorbed through direct contact with chemicals such as cleaning agents. Clean air results in better health, whether you suffer from respiratory allergies or not.

To reduce the impact of allergies, it may be advisable to:

  • increase the number of indoor plants
  • dust with a damp cloth
  • reduce / avoid the use of chemical cleaning products
  • vacuum floors and furnishings regularly

Cost - Natural cleaning agents are generally a fraction of the cost of commercially produced cleaners.

Natural cleaning agents can be used to clean and disinfect to meet hospital standards.

Remember: Always use the simplest, mildest product that will get the job done.

Further information:

Needles / Medical sharps

You can safely dispose of needles at many pharmacies throughout Hornsby Shire. The free service is provided to residents for the safe disposal of medical lancets, syringes and pen needles.

Medical sharps items will only be accepted when presented in a sharps disposal container or a puncture proof container with a screw top lid.

Free disposal of medical sharps waste is available at the following pharmacies:

Asquith
SuperSave Chemist, 343 Pacific Highway, 9477 3537

Berowra Heights
Berowra Heights Chemist Shop 2A, 15 - 19 Turner Road, 9456 4580
Berowra Village Pharmacy Shop 3, 1A Turner Road, 9456 2196

Carlingford
Carlingford Court Chemist, Shop 143 Carlingford Court, 9871 7533

Cherrybrook
McBeath Pharmacy Shop 48, Cherrybrook Village, Shepherds Drive, 9875 1999

Galston
Galston Healthsense Pharmacy Shop 1, 354 - 356 Galston Road, 9653 1104

Hornsby
Curry Chemist, 10 Edgeworth David Avenue, 9477 1049
Hornsby Hospital, (outside emergency) Palmerston Rd, 9477 9123

North Epping
Gleeson Advice & Care Pharmacy, 3/288 Malton Road, 9876 6280

Pennant Hills
Pennant Hills Pharmacy, 96 Yarrara Road, 9484 1055
Roger Lyons Amcal, Shop 22/4 Hillcrest Road, Pennant Hills Marketplace, 9484 3554

West Pennant Hills
West Pennant Hills Day and Night Pharmacy, 558 Pennant Hills Road, 9484 5888

To find your nearest sharps disposal location, visit www.safesharps.org.au.

Safe Sharps logo

Needles and sharps waste must never be placed in street litter bins, domestic garbage or recycling bins, or left in any other public place.

If you discover a needle or syringe in a public place, contact the NSW Health Needle Clean Up Hotline immediately on 1800 633 353.

Medicines

Local pharmacies safely dispose of your unwanted and out-of-date medicines free of charge as part of the Federal Government’s Return Unwanted Medicines project.

Once collected, unwanted medicines are securely transported to central depots where they are safely destroyed, with minimal impact to the environment. Don’t let your unwanted medicines become a danger to your household, the community or the environment — dispose of them correctly.

For more information phone 1300 650 835 or visit the National Return and Disposal of Unwanted Medicines website.

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