SUTTON, Mass. - If it isn’t disposed of properly, hazardous waste can start fires, cause explosions or harm the environment. New England Disposal Technologies is looking to educate people on a safer way to get rid of these harmful chemicals.  

Chances are, most people with a home or apartment likely own some hazardous materials, whether it’s bleach, pesticides, motor oil, gasoline or paint. Getting rid of it can sometimes be a challenge - many municipalities have hazardous waste collection days, but they’re infrequent.

Patrick O’Toole, vice president of New England Disposal Technologies, sees everything from antifreeze to aerosol products come through his company’s doors in Sutton and Westfield, and they’re far better off with his staff than in your garbage can.

“They could be flammable, corrosive, poisonous, toxic, present environmental pollution hazards,” O’Toole said. “So there’s a whole wide range of hazard considerations in dealing with the products that come into our facilities.”

Some materials can even be repurposed - automotive fluids and some flammables, for example, can power industrial machines as a substitute for fossil fuels. Those benefits could be even greater if more people were aware of how to get rid of their hazardous materials.

“Typically, there’s only been one-day hazardous waste collection events in select communities, other communities don’t even have that option for residents,” O’Toole said. “We have trained chemists here, so when residents show up, we can go through their materials and give them guidance on what is hazardous and what is not.”

O’Toole is particularly proud of his staff’s safety record - they’ve gone well over a thousand days without an incident. Considering what comes through their doors, it’s quite an accomplishment.

Employee Chris Fraeotta said people often bring hazardous materials in that’ve been stored in the wrong container, or not in a container at all.

“There was this one time somebody brought in gasoline in these plastic drawers that you put in these little portable containers,” Fraeotta said. “The plastic will degrade when it’s exposed to the gas and it was leaking out as we were taking it out of his car. Proper storage is something you don’t think about quite as much, but it’s important.”

For more information on what materials can be dropped off and how they should be properly stored, visit the NEDT website.