Hazardous Waste Management Program
A comic book and an animated short raise awareness about toxic chemicals.
Hazardous materials are a social issue because the ways we use, store, and dispose of them affect public health and the wellbeing of our environment. 4Culture and King County’s Local Hazardous Waste Management Program came together to commission a comic book and a short film to raise awareness and show how toxins impact public health and environmental quality—a humorous public service announcement, in both English and Spanish.
Edie Everette’s comic book HazMatters (Porque los productos tóxicos son peligrosos) explores household hazardous waste and personal responsibility through visual stories full of questions and interactive activities. Clyde Petersen’s four-minute short video The Wild World of Pesticides (El Mundo Peligroso de los Pesticidas) uses stop-motion animated paper puppets to detail the life and history of the chemical compound DDT—and ways to limit the use of toxic pesticides.
Continue Reading ›
These pieces each appeal to children and adults by using visual storytelling to make the serious topic more engaging and less confusing or overwhelming. They help explain what hazardous wastes are, how they harm us and our environment, and what we can do to deal with them responsibly.
The Hazardous Waste Management Program works in partnership with more than 40 city, county, and tribal organizations to reduce threats posed by hazardous materials and waste.
