Essex County To Hold Free ‘Hazardous Household Waste’ Disposal Day

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County will host a “Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day” on Saturday, Oct. 7 for local residents who need to safely dispose of items such as pesticides, paints, barbecue propane tanks and motor oil.

The free collection event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Essex County Public Works Department, 99 West Bradford Avenue in Cedar Grove.

The event is open to Essex County residents only. Residents are not charged when they bring materials, but they must provide proof of residency at the site. Commercial businesses can’t drop off materials. For more information, call the Essex County Utilities Authority at 973-792-9060 or visit www.ecuanj.com.

ACCEPTED – Materials being collected at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day include pesticides and herbicides, paint thinners and solvents, oil-based paints and stains, chemistry sets, barbecue propane tanks, pool chemicals, automotive fluids such as antifreeze, motor oil and steering fluid, darkroom and photographic chemicals, lithium and NiCad batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and ballasts, mercury and products containing mercury, gasoline and kerosene, household cleaning fluids, car batteries, home fire extinguishers, driveway sealer and aerosol spray paints. All containers must be five gallons or smaller or 10 pounds or lighter.

NOT ACCEPTED – Items not being collected include latex paint (which can be dried and disposed of with regular waste), unlabeled or unidentifiable materials, asbestos, regulated medical or infectious waste, commercial or industrial waste, empty containers, explosives, munitions, ordnance or highly reactive materials, household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V), smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms.

“There are some materials that should be removed from our regular waste stream because of their hazardous nature,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

“This collection day provides our residents a place to properly and safely dispose of contaminants, protecting our precious environment for future generations,” DiVincenzo added. “Our collection days are very popular and I am so glad our residents understand the importance of recycling.”

The event is sponsored by Essex County and the Essex County Utilities Authority.

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