Fire Season Safety Tips to Secure Your Waste and Recycling Materials
Many of Republic Services’ customers are ahead of the curve when it comes to being eco-friendly, and 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 risks.
- Extinguish grills and safely discard items from your backyard barbecues or picnics in the appropriately designated waste or recycling containers.
- 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.
- Find out what materials can be recycled in your area and check with local authorities for wildfire 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.
