Friday, March 29, 2024

A safe way to get rid of household hazardous waste

Posted

The annual household hazardous waste collection in Gatesville has helped clean up the county, the community and other participating counties in the Central Texas Council of Governments area, which stretches from Milam County in the east to San Saba and Mills counties in the west.

The latest version of the event will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Gatesville Civic Center, and people can take old paints, pesticides, medications, motor oil and other chemicals to help ensure these items are disposed of properly. A limited number of automobile tires (four) are accepted free, and there will be a charge for each additional tire depending on its size. Items that will not be accepted include old TVs and electronics.

Here are some statistics provided by Gatesville City Manager Bill Parry which show the impact of the collection.

A summary from 2021 indicates:

* 389 people participated in the 2021 event.

* 51.7 of participants were from outside the Gatesville city limits.

* The most collected item was paint, with tires coming in second.

* An estimated 26,477 pounds of material was collected in the chemical and paint area. With an average of 110 pounds per household dropped off, it is estimated that about 240 vehicles brought household hazardous waste to the site. About 150 other participants brought old tires to be recycled.

* About 71 percent of the total weight of items delivered was paint – or about 26,477 pounds.

* Organizers of the event were able to re-blend 28 5-gallon buckets of paint to give to people free of charge.

The event was not held in 2020 because of the COVID-19 quarantine. In 2019, an estimated 20,981 pounds of household hazardous waste was collected in Gatesville and 34 5 gallon buckets of paint were bulked and given away. About 350 cars were counted participating in the 2019 collection day.

Collection days such as the one hosted by the city of Gatesville and the Central Texas Council of Governments make a positive impact.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "improper disposal of HHW can include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the regular trash.

"The dangers of such disposal methods might not be immediately obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health. Certain types of HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets. They can also present hazards to children and pets if left around the house."