Reduce household hazardous waste. Choose products that are free of harmful chemicals. Dispose of household hazardous waste properly. Check with your local county hazardous waste office for disposal areas near you. 
>> Learn more:
Healthy Homes and Gardens (Washington Toxics Coalition)
Household Products Database (National Institutes of Health)
Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database (Environmental Working Group)

Choose environmentally safe cleaning products. They’re healthier for you, your children and the environment.
>> Learn more from Washnigton Toxics Coalition

Safely dispose of unused medicines. If you flush your old medicines down the toilet, they can end up in our waterways. When drugs pass through people and animals, they can also end up in the water. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals. And, if you put your old medicines in the garbage, they may end up in landfills where they can leach into the soil and eventually into nearby waters. What to do? Several pharmacies in the Puget Sound region offer drug take-back programs where you can return unused pharmaceuticals.

>> Learn more: Medicine Take-Back Program (Northwest Product Stewardship Council)

If you don’t have access to a local take-back program, take the following steps to protect yourself and your waters:
  • Keep the medication in its original container.
  • Modify the medications to discourage consumption. Add a small amount of water to pills or capsules to dissolve them.
  • Seal and conceal. Tape the container lid shut with tape, place in a sealable bag, then place in a non-transparent container to ensure that the contents cannot be seen.
  • Discard. Discard the container into the garbage away from kids or pets. Do not place in the recycling bin.

Reduce or eliminate the use of lawn and garden chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and moss killers. Runoff from stormwater can carry these chemicals y into streams, rivers and Puget Sound . Chemicals can also seep through soil into groundwater and end up in well water.
>> Learn more:
Lawn and garden chemicals: Why be concerned? ( Washington Toxics Coalition)

Prevent oil spills and report them if they occur.
>> Learn more:
How to report a spill (Washington Department of Ecology)
Puget Sound Keeper Alliance Become a Citizen Soundkeeper and help prevent pollution.
Northwest Watch Help the Coast Guard keep an eye out for oil spills
  • If you are a recreational boater take the following precautions to prevent small spills:
  • Keep your engine well maintained.
  • Use oil-only absorbent pads in the bilge.
  • Hold an absorbent sheet under the nozzle when fueling to catch drips.
  • Keep extra oil-only absorbent pads on hand to wipe up unexpected spills.
  • Fill tanks slowly to prevent overflow from the air vent.

Also, the less we use oil, the less that needs to be transported through Puget Sound, which decreases the risk of spills. Try decreasing the amount of oil you use by bicycling, walking or taking the bus instead of driving.

Use clean boating practices. For example, use environmentally safe cleaning products or alternative cleaners. Avoid spills while fueling boats. Maintain your boat’s engine to keep it running as clean as possible. Follow best practices when prepping and painting your boat’s hull.
>> Learn more:
Fact sheets for boaters (National Clean Boating Campaign)
ePaint (Environmentally friendly antifouling marine coatings)
California Sea Grant sizes up alternatives to copper-based paints for recreational boaters (Press release)        

Use green building materials and techniques in new construction and in renovations. Green buildings are designed to last longer, use healthier materials, be less expensive to operate and help eliminate waste generated by building construction.
>> Learn more:
Green building (Washington Department of Ecology)
Home repair and building materials (Washington Toxics Coalition)

>> Learn about other issues affecting Puget Sound ’s health and how you can help.

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