Throw Away ‘Hazardous Household Waste’ At Essex County Event

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Need to safely dispose of “hazardous household waste” such as pesticides, BBQ propane tanks, pool chemicals and auto fluids? An upcoming collection day in Essex County will give you the chance to get rid of these items and more – for free.

The county and the Essex County Utilities Authority will bring back their “Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day” on Saturday, Oct. 1. It 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.

According to county officials:

“The Essex County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day is for Essex County residents only. Residents are not charged when they bring materials, but they must provide proof of residency at the site. Commercial businesses may not drop off materials. For more information, please call the Essex County Utilities Authority at 973-792-9060 or visit www.ecuanj.com.”

“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 said. “Our collection days are very popular, and I am so glad our residents understand the importance of recycling.”

WHAT YOU CAN THROW AWAY

According to county officials, items that will be accepted 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).

WHAT YOU CAN’T THROW AWAY

Items that won’t be accepted 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.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.