End of Summer Safety Tips to Secure Your Recycling and Waste Materials

Today, it is more important than ever before to be environmentally conscious. Below are three fire safety tips that you might find helpful this fall. Together, we can protect the local environment while mitigating fire risks.

1. Extinguish grills and safely discard items from your backyard barbecues or picnics in the appropriately designated recycling or waste containers. Allow charcoal ashes to completely cool, then carefully pour water over the charcoal to speed up the cooling process. When cool, wrap in aluminum foil before disposing in the trash bin.

2. Be vigilant about not disposing combustible items with regular waste. When possible, considering using environmentally-friendly paints, cleaning supplies, and swimming pool and other household chemicals.

3. Find out what materials can be recycled in your area and check with local authorities for safety updates. For items that should not go in the recycling container, such as batteries, paint, pesticides, and electronics, check for nearby drop-off locations or trade-in stores.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), paint, cleaning supplies and other household chemicals continue to present combustible risks years after their initial application. Be mindful of what items you might place in the waste collection stream that could be combustible. The EPA estimates that 75 percent of our waste is recyclable, and 87 percent of the U.S. population has access to curbside or drop-off recycling programs. This means that many materials can be recycled and programs are, for the most part, accessible.