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Household products such as paints, cleaners, oils, and batteries are considered hazardous and should not be disposed of with regular household waste. Instead, look for local household hazardous waste collection facilities where you can safely dispose of these items without harming the environment or human health.

The safest way to remove lead-based paint is by letting a professional take over. For most people, lead paint removal costs an average of $3,400. You should never attempt to dry sand old lead-based paint surfaces by hand. Most professionals use a paint stripper to do the job followed by wet scraping, but if you don’t want to remove lead paint, another option is to paint over it. Only consider this option if the old lead paint finish isn’t flaking or cracked.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), hazardous waste is generally classified into four main categories:

1. Characteristic Wastes: These exhibit at least one of four hazardous traits: ignitability (flammable, like gasoline), corrosivity (can rust or decompose materials, like car batteries), reactivity (unstable and can explode, like aerosol cans), or toxicity (harmful when ingested, like lead-based paint).

2. Listed Wastes: These are specific wastes from manufacturing and industrial processes that the EPA has officially designated as hazardous. They include byproducts from processes that use solvents, pesticides, and other chemicals.

3. Universal Wastes: These are commonly generated hazardous items that are subject to streamlined regulations. Examples include batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment (e.g., bulbs), and some lamps.

4. Mixed Wastes: This category includes waste that contains both hazardous and radioactive components, making it subject to regulation by both the EPA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Professional lead-paint abatement companies use a variety of methods to remove lead-based paint, depending on each particular situation. Some of the most common methods include:

• Total removal: $8–$17 per square foot

• Demolition and replacement: $1,000–$15,000 per project

• Encapsulation: $4 per square foot

• Enclosure: $10 per square foot

• Chemical stripping: $10–$17 per square foot