Feature Article - for release May 6, 2009

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent                                                                  

We Want your Waste!

Spring cleanup chores can take homeowners from the garden into the shed.  The result can often lead to the discovery of a disaster waiting to happen. 

This Saturday Okeechobee County's Solid Waste Department will be offering to take your tired, and your poor, those struggling masses of unknown containers and bags of chemicals, all yearning to be free.  All you have to do is get them to the county's vehicle maintenance facility this coming Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and be rid of these problems.

And the county will get to save money too.  By keeping these hazardous materials from leaking into the soil and water, and keep them out of the landfill, expensive environmental cleanup costs will be avoided.  Today's column will talk about the things to bring to Amnesty Day, and how to safely get them there.

 

Unknowns = Lots of money

Several years ago, I was employed by a research facility.  My job included disposing of unused and unknown lab chemicals and pesticides.  Over the years, containers were shoved to the back room, cracks in bottles allowed leaks.  Bagged and boxed containers became moist and caked, and labels became unreadable.  Since we had no idea what some of these materials were, they had to be considered unknowns.

To a hazardous waste contractor, unknowns mean "worst case scenario". Technicians get dressed up in all kinds of expensive protective gear, take samples and run expensive diagnostic tests to try to find out what it is, then place them into special (expensive) containers that will take these problems to their final destination - big expensive incinerators, or big expensive landfills 

Did I tell you that disposing of hazardous wastes is expensive?

 

Preventing waste

Prevention can be practiced by buying only what is needed for the immediate future.  Buying more that what is needed is cheaper only the entire container is used.  And chemicals will break down or become contaminated if not stored properly under cool dry conditions.  Excess chemical products that someone else could use could be given away or returned to the supplier.

 

What to Bring to Homeowner Amnesty Day

Hazardous wastes can include the obvious nasties such as pesticides, cleaning solvents, pool chemicals, or petroleum products.  But it can also include less obvious sources of chemical contaminants:

$          Oil-based paints (that are cleaned up with turpentine or mineral spirits - flammable). Latex water-based paints can be left open to completely dry out, and then placed into the regular garbage pickup.

$          Mercury-based thermometers or thermostats (with the silver stuff, not the red stuff)

$          Weed and feed fertilizers (the ones that are as hard as rocks and have been sitting in the back of the shed for many years).

$          That “secret supply” of insecticide that you got from your friend who used to work for a pest control company, who gave it to you "just in case."

$          Batteries - both for vehicles and for flashlights - contain caustic chemicals or heavy metals that can contaminate our environment.

If you have a leaker, put it into a bucket or heavy duty plastic bag.  If the label is intact, use a permanent marker to label the bag or bucket with the name of the product.  Carefully place your contributions to Amnesty day into the back of the pickup truck or the trunk of the car.  Do not transport these materials in the cab or on the floor where passengers may contact this stuff.  Drive extra carefully to the County's vehicle maintenance facility, 206 NW 9th Avenue from 9 AM to 3 PM on Saturday May 9th.

Here are a few other notes about Saturday's Amnesty Day:

$          Used tires will be accepted, but only four per household.

$          No propane tanks can be accepted. (Propane vendors such as Glades Gas will be happy to accept these items)

$          Businesses that have hazardous materials to dispose of may also bring them to Amnesty Day, but expect to pay for hazmat disposal.          

If you have any questions about the County's Amnesty Day, call Russell Rowland at 863-763-1811. If you need additional information on reducing or handling hazardous waste, give your County Extension office a call (863) 763-6469,  visit our webpage at http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu,  email us at Okeechobee@ufl.edu  or stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North  Go Gators!!

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Trade  names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida.  Millie Ferrer, Interim Dean. Last update: 05/04/2009.  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert