Hazardous Waste Collection Day

Paint – Empty latex paint containers or hardened solid paint are safe to dispose of in your household garbage. If there is still liquid paint in an old can, the liquid can be solidified by mixing the paint with cat litter, oil dry, sand or sawdust. Once solidified, place the can with the lid off in your household garbage bin.

Bulbs – The EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local options for recycling CFLs, fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs that contain mercury, and all other household hazardous wastes, rather than disposing of them in regular household trash.

Batteries – Most single use and rechargeable batteries, such as lithium and button batteries, are recyclable. Regular alkaline, manganese and carbon-zinc batteries are not considered hazardous waste and can be disposed of with ordinary trash.

Household amounts of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers will NOT be accepted, but can be disposed of in your household garbage by adhering to the following ADEM guidelines:

• Attempt to share it with someone in need. If the product is still viable, give it to someone who can use a small amount, such as a local nursery or community garden.

• If you have no other options, you may put it in your regular trash for disposal, but you must meet each of the following conditions:

– Follow the instructions on the product’s label!
– Be sure that there are no freestanding liquids. Open the container and allow any liquid to evaporate or absorb the liquid into cat litter, sawdust or other absorbent material.
– Carefully contain the absorbent material and any remaining residue in a leak-resistant bag or other container while the waste is being transported to a disposal facility.
– Be sure that you only dispose of a small amount of waste at a time. Divide larger quantities and dispose of them over several collection periods.