Seven Gen Student: It's Time for a Hazardous Waste Collection

Special to Emmaus Patch by Brooke Zacker

Picture paint in the landfill soaking down into a family’s aquifer, then soaking into a family’s well. Now picture a young baby in that family drinking that water that the paint soaked into. Next, picture that baby in the hospital because of all of the bad toxins that were in the water that he or she drank because of the paint that soaked into the family’s well that was in the landfill. Think that the little boy or girl may even die! Instead of throwing away the paint, you could bring it to a household hazardous waste collection. That is why I think Lehigh Valley should have a household hazardous waste collection.

Pretty much everyone has paint somewhere in their house. You have to get rid of the paint somehow, and if you do not have a household hazardous collection in your community then it might be hard to dispose of it so you might throw it out. Once you throw it out, it will be brought to the landfill and possibly soak into the ground. It may soak into a spring or other type of wetland and an animal might come along and drink the water because it is thirsty. The toxins in the paint might get the animal sick and that may cause brain damage, skin, nose, or nervous system irritation. As you can see it would be much better for the environment and much easier to just bring it to a household hazardous waste collection.

Household hazardous waste collections are a good idea because it keeps people from dumping things (like paint) in places that they should not be dumping toxic liquids or toxic items. The Lehigh Valley has not had a household hazardous waste collection in nearly eight years! Eight years—that is crazy! People in the Lehigh Valley may not know what to do with it so they might dump the paint in some places that they should not dump it and so it could hurt the environment  and/or us. That is why I think Lehigh Valley should have a household hazardous waste collection.

Paint is harmful. It can cause brain damage, nose, skin, and nervous system irritation. It is also flammable. Household hazardous waste collections are good because it makes it easier to get rid of unwanted things that you can’t throw away. They keep people from dumping toxic things where they should not be dumping them. Lehigh Valley has not had a household hazardous waste collection in nearly eight years! It has made it hard for people in the Lehigh Valley to dispose of house hold hazardous items. Write to your city government and ask them to start hazardous waste collection now.

Brooke Zacker, of Emmaus, is a currently a 4th grade student at Seven Generations Charter School in Emmaus. Zacker's class has been studying household hazardous waste and the students wrote opinion articles on the topic.