How can I safely dispose of a bunch of household cleaners that came with the house I'm renting?

Question

I prefer to use natural cleaners that are environmentally friendly, so I don't want to use these products. What's the best thing to do? I can't pour them out...

Answer 1

I agree with Terri H.  You need to call your local sanitation department.  My city has a wonderful website that tells you where you can drop those items off.  Isn't that a pain?  The previous owners of my house did the same thing.  I had all this paint that was 30+ years old.  I filled the entire bed of a truck with all the toxic items they left in the basement and garage.  Next time, I will make sure there is something in the sales contract that makes the seller responsible for removal of that kind of stuff.  As a renter you should make the landlord take care of that.  Or, at least if you take care of it you know that it will be done right.

Answer 2

Most major cities have depots for household hazardous waste materials (including solvents, cleaners and paint) as well as computer equipment (which contains mercury).

Contact your city's Waste Management Services and ask them where the closest depot for disposal of chemicals and hazardous waste is located.  

I've attached a link to the website here in Toronto.  This should give you an idea what to look for.  Hope this is helpful and thanks for thinking about this - I wish more people would!