Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Unload your hazardous waste

Spring is finally in the air here I think, even if the rain's making things feel less than tropical. So if you're in the Columbus area and need an excuse to launch a spring cleaning campaign, here's one:

The Keep Columbus Beautiful Commission is holding a Household Hazardous Waste Recyling Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at 25 22nd Avenue (across from Dolly Madison on Victory Drive). We're going to unload some old cans of paint and who knows what else. I only wish they were taking expired pharmaceuticals so I could finally safely clear all the expired medicines out of our cabinets.

Anyway, here's what you can unload:

• Paint and Solvents - latex paint, oil-based paint, furniture strippers, paint thinners, etc.
• Lawn Care Chemicals - fertilizers, pesticides, pool chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, etc.
• Cleaning Products - bleach or products containing bleach, ammonia or ammonia-based products, all-purpose cleaners, furniture polish, spot removers, scouring powder, oven cleaner, bathroom cleaner, bug spray, etc.
• Automotive Products - motor oil, oil filters, gasoline, anti-freeze, lubricants, car batteries, brake fluid, transmission fluid, car wax, metal polish, etc.
*Common electronic equipment including computers, printers, fax machines, copiers, and consumer electronics (no televisions).

For more information contact Keep Columbus Beautiful at (706) 653-4008 or kcbc1987@mindspring.com.

2 comments:

Grace said...

When we lived in Columbus I remember the city collected motor oil at the curbside recycling if you put it in a milk jug type container.

Where we live now, they hardly recycle anything curbside! I save up cardboard and certain plastics in the garage and take to the big recycling facility once a month.

I took expired Epi pens (they have a needle) back to the Dr. with me to dispose of there. But what else can you do with the expired medicines?

Annie Addington said...

I'm surprised you don't have better recycling in the Atlanta area.

As for the expired medicines, it poses enviornmental hazards both to throw them out and to dump them in the toilet, so I do neither and there they sit accumulating until the day when someone figures out how to help me safely dispose of pharmaceuticals. This website recommends checking with your pharmacy to see if they have a drug recyling program in place: http://www.wisegeek.com/how-do-i-dispose-of-expired-medicine.htm.
I'll try that next, but somehow I'm not too hopeful.