The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will host the annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event at the Weakley County Convenience Center from 8 a.m. to noon on April 13 in Dresden.
The collection provides Weakley County residents a convenient, no-cost option to dispose of hazardous materials that are not normally accepted at waste sites. The collection helps protect water, land and air from being negatively impacted by these common household items.
Household hazardous waste is any corrosive, flammable, reactive or toxic waste material used in homes, automobiles or lawns.
Typical items include cleaning fluid, pesticides, mercury thermometers, fluorescent light bulbs, antifreeze, aerosols, adhesives, unused medications, roofing tar, photo processing chemicals, fertilizer, brake fluid, starter fluid, paint thinner, rust solvent and swimming pool chemicals.
Items not accepted include explosives, ammunition, radioactive waste, smoke detectors, empty containers, or latex paint.
Rechargeable batteries, oil, electronics and oil-based paints will be accepted at this year’s waste collection event.
Household waste may be disposed of for free at any time. However, waste from non-household sources, such as businesses, churches and schools will be accepted by appointment only.
If transporting materials to the site, containers must be placed in sturdy boxes lined with newspaper. Materials should be kept in the original containers whenever possible. If this is not possible, each item should be placed in a secure plastic container with its contents labeled.
The Household Hazardous Waste Collection event began in 1993. Since then, there have been over 1,000 collections throughout Tennessee.
Over 346,000 households have participated in the event, and 22 million pounds of potentially harmful materials have been properly disposed of.
The program is funded by a $0.90 per ton surcharge on waste entering landfills.
For more information, contact the Weakley County Convenience Center at 731-364-6798. To schedule an appointment and request a price quote, call 615-643-3170.
