Essex County Hosting Hazardous Waste Collection Day

If you have any “hazardous waste” around your home, Essex County is hosting an event enabling residents to dispose of it safely.

The event will take place on Saturday, May 2, from 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m. at the Old Essex County Hospital Center, 125 Fairview Ave., in Cedar Grove.

The collection day is free, but participants must be Essex County residents. Materials for disposal should be placed in containers that are smaller than five gallons or 10 pounds. 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.

The county will be accepting numerous types of hazardous household waste, including:

• Pesticides and herbicides
• Paint thinners and solvents
• Barbecue propane tanks
• Automotive fluids such as antifreeze, motor oil and steering fluid
• Pool chemicals
• Florescent light bulbs
• Lithium and NiCad batteries
• Products containing mercury
• Gasoline and kerosene
• Household cleaning products

The county will not, however, accept the following items: latex paint, unlabeled or unidentified materials, asbestos, regulated medical waste 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 in a release. “This collection day provides our residents a place to properly and safely dispose of contaminants, protecting our precious environment for future generations.”

For more information, contact the Essex County Utilities Authority at 973-792-9060.