Old smoke detector disposal

[Retiredguy2]

In my county there are at least two or three collection sites during the good weather months that permit residents to properly dispose of scrap materials and hazardous household wastes. Old motor oil and antifreeze and all types of batteries are accepted, but when I called them today to arrange for disposing of those items. I inquired as to whether they would accept half a dozen old smoke detectors of the ionization type and the answer was no. They suggested I mail them back to the company who manufactured them new, but of course said companies will ONLY accept their own brand. It seems to me that old detectors are probably a rather common form of household hazardous waste and I wonder what the rest of you do to dispose of yours...thanks for any input.

 

[jack707]

I throw mine out in the trash.

 

[roadhunter]

Everything looks the same in a black plastic bag.

 

[wawajake]

yep in the trash along with those silly curly light bulbs too, that were supposed to last a few years !

 

[atomchaser]

Contact the Michigan Dept of Env Quality. They may be able to help you out. DEQ - Radiological Protection

 

[dickfoster]

I throw mine out in the trash.

That's what I'd do. All the stuff these people are worried about usually starts out coming out of the ground. I thought it was silly to see people running around in hazmat suits to deal with the same latex paint that housewives all over the country are into up to their elbows in on a regular basis. Most of the time it seems to be much ado about nothing.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Contact the Michigan Dept of Env Quality. They may be able to help you out. DEQ - Radiological Protection

That's excellent advice. My smoke detector has a radioactive Polonium source that should be disposed of properly. Sending a can of old paint to the landfill is one thing; a radioactive source should be handled properly to avoid any exposure, especially if the thing is destroyed in a way that would allow inhalation.

 

[jack707]

That's excellent advice. My smoke detector has a radioactive Polonium source that should be disposed of properly. Sending a can of old paint to the landfill is one thing; a radioactive source should be handled properly to avoid any exposure, especially if the thing is destroyed in a way that would allow inhalation.

OK I agree with you but what the guy that takes a bag of asbestos to the landfill but don't want to pay the fee and tell the person it's garbage? Nothing 100%.

 

[buickanddeere]

I have no idea how such a double standard is allowed . 100cpm is not allowed out of a nuclear facility yet 20,000cpm from a ionizing smoke detector is not unusual.
Then again the dirt along the side of the road near Elliote Lake is "hot". Some granite countertops give of a couple millirem of gamma.
Alpha from radon gas in basements is probably the highest radiological concern .

 

[Taylortractornut]

Has a landfill manager smoke alarms and mtn dew bottles are the enemy. The rubbish site I run can't take household Or smoke alarms. Had one start beeping and it was in my covered biweekly cell. You could hear it good. Had an inspector from the state come by and almost heard it luckily the compactor was running. At the end of the day when it was quiet you could hear it good. Looked for it for a week then one day one of the landfill dogs dug zeroed in on it. Dug it up and put in the e waste bin. A lot of subtitle d landfills have Geiger counters on the scales that will reject a load for one smoke detector or an old microwave