MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - For those doing summer renovations at home this summer, don't forget to recycle your waste properly especially when it comes to products containing mercury.

Mercury is a serious pollutant of concern and when spilled or improperly disposed, the exposure can do damage to the lungs, kidneys and nervous systems. It can also affect the neurological development in children.

While it may be easier to just throw out items in your waste basket, Meridian Township Recycling Coordinator Leroy Harvey said by not correctly disposing items that there’s an increased risk of mercury spillage.

"There’s a lot of hazardous materials that we use in our everyday lives and a lot of them can't go into a recycling bin," Harvey said. "More and more things can go in your a recycling bin but we encourage people to educate yourself on what is hazardous and what’s not. And a lot of that is obvious."

Harvey said items such as compact florescent bulbs, oil based paints and various household chemicals contain mercury and should not be placed in recycling bins but rather taken to a location such as Ingham County Health Department or the Lansing Board of Water and Light.