ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste is like poison that can be very dangerous and harmful. You know how there are things like medicines and chemicals that are only okay to use if a grown-up tells you to? Well, hazardous waste is kind of like that, but way more dangerous than anything you might find in your home.

These poisons can come from many places like factories or hospitals. Sometimes, they are made by people who don't know how to throw them away properly. When we don't dispose of hazardous waste correctly, it can end up hurting us and our environment.

That's why we need to make sure to take very special care when getting rid of it. There are special rules that grown-ups have to follow to make sure the hazardous waste is not touching us or the animals that live near us. They have to wear special gloves and clothes to protect them and use special containers to store the waste.

Whenever someone has hazardous waste that they don't need, they have to take it to a special place where it can be treated in a safe way that won't hurt anyone. And that's why hazardous waste is such a big deal - because it's very dangerous, but we know how to take care of it so that it doesn't harm anyone.