Franklin County’s solid waste authority, SWACO, announced today that it is making it even easier for residents to dispose of their household hazardous waste (HHW) by expanding the hours at its drop-off facility at 645 E. 8th Avenue in Columbus to include more regular weekday and some weekend hours.
The permanent collection facility on 8th Avenue is now open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on the first Saturday of every month from 9:00 a.m. though 2:00 p.m. It accepts things such as household cleaners and bleach, paint strippers, batteries, gasoline, fluorescent bulbs, motor oil, pool and lawn chemicals, propane and other types of cylinders, and more. It cannot accept ammunition, appliances, asbestos, tires, or medical waste, however, and is only available to private residents, not businesses. The site accepts latex or water-based paint for $1 per gallon, or it can be dried out and disposed of in regular trash.
“We’re pleased to be able to expand the hours of our Household Hazardous Waste drop-off facility,” said SWACO Executive Director, Joe Lombardi. “So many of us have a shelf full of hazardous materials in our garage or basement and don’t know how to safely dispose of them. Fortunately, SWACO can take them off your hands, and we’re making it easier and more convenient than ever before to drop them off.”
In addition to the permanent drop-off center, mobile HHW collection events have already been held in Dublin and Gahanna earlier this year, and will be held in Grove City and Westerville later this fall.
“It’s important to dispose of hazardous waste items in the proper way,” said Lombardi. “Many of them are flammable or could contaminate our groundwater or harm wildlife, and they also pose a significant danger to our sanitation workers if they get put directly in the trash or recycling. All of the batteries that our devices use are also a major cause of fires when they aren’t disposed of properly, so it’s especially important that they aren’t put in with household trash or recycling.”
Visit SWACO’s Household Hazardous Waste web page for a list of what can and cannot be accepted at the free HHW collection site, information about the upcoming mobile HHW collection events, or to learn how businesses can dispose of their hazardous waste. You can also learn how to properly recycle many common items at RecycleRight.org.
