Hazmat Disposal Router

Don't guess. Don't drain. Route it. Every garage and under-sink cabinet holds 5-15 items that are illegal or dangerous to trash — and most people guess. Wrong guesses start garbage trucks fires (lithium), poison waterways (oil, paint), or endanger workers (needles in plastic bottles).

Overview

1. dispose — item → verdict: where it goes, WHY (one line), warnings. Covers 20+ item families: paints, solvents, batteries (lead-acid / lithium / alkaline), motor oil, coolant, pesticides, pool chems, propane, CFL/LED, e-waste, meds, needles, thermometers, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, asbestos-suspect, gasoline.
2. audit — garage/basement cleanout: list everything, get one grouped manifest (which items to which channel) for a single trip.
3. storage — safe interim storage rules until drop-off day (lithium bagging, oil containers, no-mixing, original labels).
4. channels — where to take things: US (Earth911-style search terms + retailer take-back), EU (WEEE/municipal recycling yards), UK (council HWRC), plus meds take-back everywhere.
5. never — the never-do list, printed with reasons.

Pure stdlib, offline. Regulations vary by locality — verdicts are the consensus safe default; verify local rules for your address.

When to Use

• Cleaning out garage / basement / dead relative's house
• After a paint project, oil change, or battery swap
• "Can I throw this in the bin?" — any item you suspect
• Renovation debris with old chemicals/tubes
• Setting up a household's permanent disposal map

Don't use for: active spills, unknown mixed chemicals reacting, asbestos already crumbling (airborne = professional abatement), or commercial quantities (different law).

How It Works — Numbered Steps

1. Check single items as they surface:

   python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py dispose --item "latex paint"
   python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py dispose --item "li-ion battery"
   python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py dispose --item "motor oil"
   

2. For a cleanout, audit everything at once:

   python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py audit --items "latex paint,oil paint,car battery,li-ion packs,CFL bulbs,old gasoline,weed killer"
   

   → grouped manifest: HHW-facility pile vs retailer drop-offs vs trash-safe pile + trip plan.
3. Store safely until the run:

   python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py storage
   

4. Find your local channels:

   python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py channels --region US
   python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py channels --region EU
   

5. Memorize one thing — the never list:

   python3 scripts/hazmat_router.py never
   

The Verdict Table (excerpts)

Common Pitfalls

1. "Thinners and paints down the drain." Drains lead somewhere: septic fields die, municipal plants can't strip solvents, and it's illegal nearly everywhere. Liquid solvent = HHW, always.
2. Li-ion in the bin. Damaged cells short in the compactor — garbage truck fires have doubled in many cities from batteries alone. Tape terminals, bag separately, battery channel.
3. Mixing leftovers "to save space." Pool chlorine + acids, ammonia + bleach, oxidizers + organics: mixing containers can react in transport/storage. Original containers, never combined.
4. Needles in soda bottles. Sanitation worker injuries; the program exists specifically because this fails. Sharps container or a labeled rigid container per local program.
5. Wet latex paint in the trash. Liquid paint leaks through trucks, paints streets. DRY it first (cat litter / paint hardener / air) — then it's trash.
6. Breaking CFLs to "fit the bin." Mercury vapor exposure to you; sealed plastic bag if broken, HHW if intact.
7. Full propane tanks to trash/compactor. Explosive in compactors. Exchange programs take old tanks; HHW takes odd sizes.
8. Hoarding HHW "for later." Containers corrode (old gas cans, acid bottles), fumes accumulate; plan a drop-off run within a month of cleanout.

Example

$ hazmat_router.py dispose --item "car battery"
CAR BATTERY (lead-acid):
  VERDICT: retailer drop-off — any auto parts store; core credit
  (~$10 on new battery). Scrap yards pay by weight.
  WHY: 8+ kg lead + sulfuric acid; landfill = groundwater.
  WARN: keep upright, terminals not shorting (no tools across posts).

$ hazmat_router.py audit --items "latex paint,oil paint,car battery,li-ion packs,CFL bulbs,old gasoline"
CLEANOUT MANIFEST — 6 items, 2 channels:
  HHW FACILITY RUN: oil paint, CFL bulbs, old gasoline, li-ion packs*
  RETAILER DROP-OFF: car battery (auto parts store, ~$10 credit)
  TRASH (prepared): latex paint — dry with cat litter first
  *tape/bag lithium terminals before transport
  TRIP PLAN: battery to parts store today (credit), rest to HHW
  Saturday. Check facility hours — many are weekly-only.

Verification Checklist

• Every questionable item checked against the verdict table
• Audit manifest built; channels grouped for minimum trips
• Interim storage rules applied (original labels, no mixing, lithium terminals taped, upright, ventilated area)
• Local facility located + hours confirmed before loading
• Never-list items verified absent from your trash bins