HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTES TIME AGAIN – 4/14/07

Do you have hazardous wastes in your home? Many such products you probably are storing right now in your garage, basement, bathroom or kitchen and you might not ordinarily think of them as hazardous. Labels of hazardous products are required by federal law to list signal words that you should become familiar with to help you learn to safely handle hazardous products: Flammable/combustible; Explosive/reactive; Corrosive; Danger/poison; Warning; Caution. These signal words are put on the labels of hazardous products enabling you, as conscientious consumers, to make educated choices about your risks when using the products.

When hazardous household products are no longer usable or wanted, they become household hazardous wastes. When disposed of improperly, they pose a threat to sanitation workers and the environment. Household hazardous wastes discarded in the trash may ignite or explode in the collection truck. Trash haulers have been injured from fumes and splashing chemicals. Disposal of household hazardous wastes down the drain can also pollute drinking water. In septic systems, hazardous wastes can kill the organisms that make the system work. This may cause untreated wastes to drain into the soil and eventually seep into the ground water. Sewage treatment plants have been overloaded or damaged by household hazardous wastes. Storm drains, which are often used improperly for dumping, are a direct route to nearby waterways. Anything that is poured on the ground may be absorbed the next time it rains.

Each year the Recycling Center sponsors a collection event designed to offer our citizens a safe, environmentally sound method of dealing with these materials. The event is FREE and for Floyd County residents ONLY and is set for Saturday, April 14, 2007 from 9 am until 2 pm at the State Mutual Baseball Stadium. Different this year is the opportunity for commercial waste to be handled if the company calls the Recycling Center to pre-register and is willing to pay the charges for the waste. For more detailed information, visit our website at www.romefloydrecycles.org or call us at 706/291-5266.

What can you bring to the collection event? Disinfectants, ammonia, bleach, herbicides, pesticides, paint and paint related products, pool chemicals, automotive fluids, oven, tub, tile and toilet bowl cleaners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, computers and all peripheral equipment, televisions, test equipment, telecommunication equipment, fax machines, scanners, and all electronic (not just electric) equipment. You may also bring up to a maximum of10 residential tires – no commercial tires accepted. This is your once-a-year opportunity to safely dispose of those old products – so don’t miss out.

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