‘Detox your home’ from high-toxic household chemicals

Ballarat residents are being urged to take advantage of the opportunity to dispose of their common household chemicals when the annual Detox Your Home program arrives in town.

The household chemical collection program is coming to Ballarat on Saturday 4 August

between 10am-12pm and the City of Ballarat, in partnership with Sustainability Victoria, is encouraging residents to take the opportunity to get rid of unwanted – and potentially dangerous – items like pesticides, detergents and weed killers.

The annual collection will be held at the Gillies Street Transfer Station.

Detox your Home is administered by Sustainability Victoria in partnership with local governments and is funded by the Victorian landfill levy. 

The products collected are recycled for recovery and diverted from landfill.

Residents can drop off the following items:  

Acids and alkalis Aerosols (dispose of empty cans in your household recycling bin) Anti-freeze Brake fluid Car body filler Car wax Cleaners – ammonia-based Cooking oil Coolant Detergents, disinfectants and drain cleaners Fertiliser Fire extinguishers Floorcare products and waxes Fuels - petrol, diesel, kerosene Glues - water-based and solvents Herbicides and weed killers Insect spray/pesticides Nail polish and remover Oven cleaner Thinner, turps and paint stripper Pool chemicals Rat poison Solvents Transmission fluid Wood preservatives and finishes (oils and varnish)

The following items are not accepted:  

Ammunition or firearms Asbestos Car batteries Household batteries Chemicals used by businesses Farm chemicals Fluorescent lights Gas bottles Motor oil Paint

For more information visit sustainability.vic.gov.au/detoxyourhome

Quotes attributable to City of Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh:

“Placing highly-toxic chemicals out with the regular rubbish collection where they

could explode, ignite, leak or mix with other chemicals can be extremely detrimental. 

It’s also just as dangerous to pour them down the drain where they could pollute waterways, harming animals and vegetation, contaminating the drinking water supply and making rivers and beaches unsafe for swimming.  

The good news is you can reduce the risk of poisoning, environmental pollution and bushfire hazards, as well as improve recycling rates, by dropping off unwanted chemicals at the Detox your Home event on Saturday.”