Household Hazardous Wastes
What
is HHW?
Many products that are commonly
found in homes contain hazardous ingredients. These can
be found in products made for cleaning, painting, beautifying,
healing, or disinfecting and may be used in the house, yard,
or garage. All of these should be used, stored and disposed
of responsibly.
Read the labels of the products
in your home. Words such as: poison, toxic,
corrosive, volatile, flammable,
inflammable, combustible, explosive,
danger, caution, warning and
harmful are signs that the contents are hazardous.
Such products should:
-
ALWAYS be disposed of by trained personnel
at a facility designated for HHW collection
-
NEVER be flushed down the toilet, sink
or drain where they will eventually make their way into
our water systems impacting wildlife and potentially
humans
-
NEVER be thrown in the trash where
they can injure or poison sanitation workers and
leach into our soil, polluting our groundwater
-
and NEVER be poured on the ground
or in the gutter or storm drain where it will be
carried directly into nearby streams, harming our
wildlife and waterways
We Do
Accept the following Household Hazardous Wastes:
- Aerosol cans
- antifreeze
- chemicals
- cleaners
- dioxins
- fertilizers
- fluorescent bulbs
- gasoline
- glue & adhesives
- kerosene
- mercury thermometers and switches
- motor oil & oil filters
- paints
- pesticides
- poisons
- thinners
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We
do NOT accept the following HHW:
- batteries (accepted regularly at the Summit
County recycling drop-off centers)
- prescription drugs* - click here for info on Pharmaceutical Take-Back program
- explosives of any kind
- ammunition
- infectious or biologically active materials
- propane or grill gas tanks (accepted at Ferrel
Gas for a small fee)
- radioactive materials
- shock sensitive materials
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HHW
Collection Fees (subject to change) |
RESIDENTS: $3.00 per gallon (up to 15 gallons) with a $10.00 minimum fee
Greater than 15 gallons is $4 per gallon.
Please Note: MINIMUM CHARGE FOR HHW PROGRAM is $10.00
Program runs April 1 through October 31, Monday through Friday - 7:00am to 3:30pm.
The HHW Collection Program operates
by appointment only during winter months (November through
March). For an appointment, or with any questions regarding
the program,
please call 970-468-9263 x 0.
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These fees are for residents and
households only. Small Quantity Conditionally
Exempt Generators (small businesses) are asked
to call 468-9263, ext. 13 to inquire about fees
and regulations.
For the safety of employees and HHW handlers,
materials MUST be in original containers and/or
clearly labeled.
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A word about the expense of HHW Disposal:
There are no incentives
or regulations in the U.S. that require manufacturers to
support the safe disposal of the products listed above.
Presently, the burden of cost for end-of-life management
lies with you, the consumer, and with local communities.
The low fees listed above
are made possible by the support of the organizations listed
below. These organizations believe household hazardous waste
in our community should not be thrown down the drain or
in the landfill. Collectively, they contribute approximately
$12,000 annually to this program. The prices therefore do
not reflect the true cost of disposal, but a significant
subsidy by our local governments and especially our local
waste water treatment plants.
All over the world, including
neighboring Canada, the concept of "Extended Producer
Responsibility" is creating incentives for manufacturers
of paint and pesticides to create less toxic products or
pay for their end-of-life management. To help make Producer
Responsibility a reality in the US, take the time to write
your elected officials and the manufacturers of the products
you buy and tell them what you think.
Contact High Country Conservation
Center at 970-668-5703 for more information.
Thank you to our generous
funders: The Town of Frisco, The Town of Breckenridge, The
Summit Fire Authority, Frisco Sanitation District, Breckenridge
Sanitation District, Snake River Treatment Plant, Silverthorne/Dillon
Joint Authority, Copper Metro Sanitation, and the Summit County Waste Facility (landfill).
And a very special thanks to The Summit Foundation for the
grant that made this on-going collection program a reality. |