Throw Away Hazardous Household Waste For Free In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County residents who need to throw away pesticides, paint, propane tanks, motor oil, pool chemicals, cleaning fluids or other “household hazardous waste” should mark down Saturday, May 6 on their calendars.

The county and the Essex County Utilities Authority will hold a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day this weekend, as they’ve done in the past. 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.

The free event is only open to Essex County residents. Residents are not charged when they bring materials, but they must provide proof of residency at the site. The event isn’t open to commercial businesses.

For more information, 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. This collection day provides our residents a place to properly and safely dispose of contaminants, protecting our precious environment for future generations,” Essex County Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said.

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

WHAT WILL BE ACCEPTED?

Materials that will be 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.

WHAT WON’T BE ACCEPTED?

Items that will not be 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.

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