Delaware County PA

1. We survey the cars as they arrive
2. Our hazardous waste vendor unloads your car
3. You’re on your way

Delaware County is sponsoring four (4) Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Events in 2010. Each year, the number of participants and the weights, particularly computers and TVs increase. In 2009, we hosted four collection events, two of which offered computer and TV recycling. A record total of 5,748 residents participated in the program last year, removing over 432,959 pounds of hazardous materials from the waste stream. Of that total, computers and TVs made up 249,026 pounds. If you’ve ever participated in an event, you leave with a good feeling knowing you’ve disposed of your hazardous items in a responsible fashion.

To back up a bit… Delaware County has been hosting HHW Events since the early 1990’s. By 1998, Delaware County joined forces with Bucks, Chester, Montgomery Counties as well as the City of Philadelphia in an effort to remove HHW from the environment collectively and more efficiently. The advantage for Delaware County residents is that if our scheduled events are not convenient, you may take your HHW to any one of the above counties’ events. Consequently, in 2010, there will be more than twenty opportunities for you to properly dispose of your Household Hazardous Waste. A list of dates and locations for the entire region should be available by mid-February.

As a result of this cooperative program and in recognition of our efforts to remove hazardous materials from our environment, Delaware County and the Southeast Region were recipients of the 1999 and 2008 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence. Additionally, this Program earned a 2007 PA Waste Watcher Award for Outstanding Achievement in Special Collections and Outstanding Achievement in Reuse for our commitment to recycling, waste reduction and reuse in the state of Pennsylvania. This five county program has collectively removed more than 2 million pounds of hazardous waste from the environment, last year alone. Our choice of a hazardous waste vendor insures that as much of the waste that can be recycled, is. Examples include: motor oil is sent to a company that removes the dirt, the oil is then reused; propane tanks are drained, reusing the remaining propane; tanks are then examined and those that can be reused are sent to a propane company in order to be refilled; those that cannot are sent to a scrap metal recycler.

In 2010, Delaware County has moved one location to one that can also accommodate collecting computers and portable television for recycling. As a result, there will be three events where you can bring these items along with your household hazardous waste. Listed below you will find the event dates and locations as well as the items that will be accepted. Additionally, cell phones will also be accepted at ALL our collection events.

UPCOMING DELAWARE COUNTY HHW EVENTS

HOW TO IDENTIFY HHW:

Typically, item labels that contain the words: HAZARDOUS – DANGER – WARNING – POISONOUS and TOXIC, indicate items that contain hazardous material.

TYPICAL HHW INCLUDE:

Oil-based Paint
Paint Thinner
Varnish
Kerosene
Gasoline
Motor Oil
Antifreeze
Weed Killers
Fungicides
Pesticides
Items containing Mercury
Propane Tanks weighing less than 20 lbs.
Ni-Cad, Lithium, Rechargeable & Lead Acid Batteries
Cell Phones

**Latex Paint is not hazardous and is not accepted at these one day hazardous waste events. Simply open the lid and let Latex Paint air dry. Leave the lids off when placing out with your regular trash. In the event that you have too much paint and it will not harden using this method:

1) Take two cardboard boxes

2) Line one with an outside trash bag

3) Place kitty litter in the trash bag

4) Dump all your Latex Paint into the bag containing the kitty litter

5) Stir. If it still seems to ‘runny’ either add more kitty litter or shredded newspaper to the mix. (You want it to solidify.)

6) In the second box place the empty cans of paints putting the pints in the quarts and the quarts in the gallons. All lids MUST REMAIN OFF THE CANS.

7) Place both boxes out with your regular trash.

DISPOSE OF HHW PROPERLY

Improperly disposed HHW can pollute the groundwater, surface water, and the air we breathe. It can harm children, pets, and sanitation workers. Listed below are ways you can dispose of HHW in a responsible manner.

COMPUTER RECYCLING IS ONCE AGAIN OFFERED!

This year we have added a new location where we are able to collect computers and portable TVs bringing the number of events to three. (TVs in wooden consoles or over 27” will not be accepted.) All three events will be held in conjunction with our Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events. The first Computer Recycling Event will be Saturday, April 24, 2010 at the Emergency Service Training Center on Calcon Hook Road in Darby Township. The second Computer Recycling Event will be held at Rose Tree Park on Providence Road in Media on Thursday, September 16, 2010. The last event will be held at the Upper Chichester Township Municipal Building, 8500 Furey Road (off Chichester Avenue), Boothwyn on Saturday, October 9, 2010. Once again, the only items we will accept will be computers, scanners, printers, portable television sets and fax machines. Check under the topic of Computer and Television Recycling for further information.

Always looking to improve and expand on what we can recycle, we will again this year accept cell phones at all our HHW Collection Events for recycling. Cell phones may also be dropped off at the Solid Waste Authority’s office at the Hunt Club in Rose Tree Park, 1521 N. Providence Road, Media, PA 19063, Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.