Household Chemical Roundup is Saturday, April 12, 2014
Do you have old cans of paint, bottles of pesticides or containers filled with used motor oil collecting in your garage because you don’t know how to safely get rid of them?
If you live in Parker, Colorado, you’re in luck. The Douglas County Household Chemical Roundup will be held this Saturday, April 12, 2014, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Parker Joint Services Center, 17801 E. Plaza Drive.
The roundup is open to all Douglas County residents, who will be required to verify their address with a utility bill, phone bill or driver’s license.
By taking your hazardous household waste to the Services Center, you will be disposing of the products in a safe, legal and environmentally-sound manner that will help prevent pollution and protect the people handling your garbage.
Do you really want to see old motor oil in some of Colorado’s beautiful creeks? I think not. It’s worth taking a few minutes out of your Saturday to make sure these products will be disposed of properly.
Items that will be accepted include house and garden chemicals, automotive fluids, fluorescent light bulbs and CFLs, fuels, propane tanks (1-20 lbs.), vehicle and household batteries, items containing mercury, off-rim car and pickup truck tires and oil-based paint and paint products.
Items that will NOT be accepted include business and commercial waste; radioactive waste; electronic waste, such as computers and TVs; explosive waste; smoke detectors; waste-containing asbestos; compressed gasses other than propane; tractor tires; scrap metal; and medical waste.
The event has been a huge success in past years. For example, an estimated 2,566 households participated in 2012, when more than 140 tons of hazardous materials were collected.
That included 5,600 gallons of liquids, such as oils, antifreeze, flammable liquids and reactive chemicals; 17,500 pounds of pesticides; and almost 105 tons of paint and paint products. In addition, 492 tires, 398 gas cylinders and 8,625 pounds of automotive batteries were collected and recycled.
If you miss Saturday’s event, two other Douglas County communities will hold roundups later in the year – Aug. 16 in Highlands Ranch and Sept. 13 in Castle Rock.
A contribution of $25 is requested to help offset the high cost of hazardous waste disposal. For more information, visit http://www.tchd.org/householdchemical.htm.