Politics & Government

Household Hazardous Waste Program Set To Start

Scroll to the bottom of the article for a list of all drop-off locations.

The Counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia have again joined forces to collect household hazardous waste and electronics through 30+ collection sites in the five county region for 2012.  In an effort to increase services, decrease costs and improve the overall event experience, Montgomery County in 2012 has opted to hold 6 separate HHW-only events and 8 separate Electronics-only events.  

Due to Pennsylvania’s Covered Device Recycling Act of 2010, manufacturers of TV’s, laptops, CPU’s, monitors and peripherals will now be mandated to collect and recycle what they sell of their market share to consumers in the commonwealth.  Because of this law, Montgomery County looks to save $100,000 in annual electronics recycling costs while standing to make approximately $20,000 - $60,000 in revenue from the electronics brought to the eight upcoming electronics-only recycling events. This will dramatically decrease the overall HHW and Electronics recycling budget while still providing this popular service to county residents.  

Montgomery County residents may attend any of the events in the five county area. HHW will not be accepted at electronics events and electronics will not be accepted at HHW events.

Find out what's happening in Lower Morelandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

About Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events

Household hazardous waste is the discarded, unused or leftover portion of household products containing toxic chemicals. Hazardous usually can be identified by labels such as: "Warning", "Caution", "Poisonous", "Toxic", "Flammable", "Corrosive", Reactive" or "Explosive."

Find out what's happening in Lower Morelandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Due to its chemical nature, improper disposal of household hazardous waste poses a threat to human health as well as that to the environment where it may enter the municipal waste stream and cause environmental problems such as ground-water contamination, injuries to waste management workers, and damage to equipment and property.

There are several products for general public use that may be harmful without proper handling, use and storage. Read product labels, take precautions, and store in safe out of reach areas away from children and pets. Every homeowner should take an inventory of the hazardous materials in their home to ensure that they are safely stored. Old, unstable materials should be separated out for disposal. Disposing of them properly is essential to maintain a safe home and environment.

Waste reduction starts in the home.  Consider alternatives for common household chores -- i.e., baking soda, vinegar, etc. -- as well as offering unused portions -- provided that product does not contain extreme hazardous characteristics -- to neighbors, friends, family, etc.  Do not dispose of liquid chemicals, banned pesticides, or motor oil in the trash; do not use storm sewers for disposal of chemical waste; do not mix chemical wastes together; never reuse any pesticide or chemical containers for other purposes.

When buying paint, you should only purchase what you need.  Use any leftover paint for second coats or touch-ups. If you have extra paint you may donate it to a community group or theater group. Never throw away leftover paints in liquid form into the trash.  Latex paint is not hazardous and can be safely disposed of by leaving the lid off the can and allowing it to dry completely, or mixing paint with sawdust or kitty litter type materials until the paint is absorbed and no longer in liquid form. You then may dispose of it in your regular trash. Empty paint cans should be placed in the trash and not in your recycling container. Leftover oil-based paint should be saved for the hazardous waste collection program. Latex paint is not hazardous and will not be accepted.

Driveway sealers, roof coatings and adhesive cans that are already empty or contain residue that has hardened, should also be placed in the trash and not brought to a household hazardous waste collection site.

Montgomery County's household hazardous waste collection events provides the opportunity to safely and properly dispose of these hazardous materials.  Hazardous waste items include:

Automotive Products including motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze, kerosene and gasoline; pesticides/herbicides; household products including drain and oven cleaners, spot remover, dry cleaning fluid, rug cleaner; paint products including paint thinner or turpentine, paint remover, oil based paint, furniture stripper and refinisher; and miscellaneous products including dyes, lighter fluids, concrete or asphalt sealers, propane tanks, swimming pool chemicals and mercury.

To safely package and transport household hazardous waste the following guidelines should be followed:

1.  Keep all products in original containers with labels intact.

2.  Wrap leaking containers in newspaper and place in plastic bag or garbage container making sure that all lids and caps are secure.

3.  Place items securely in box for transport.  Use cardboard or newspaper as filler.

4.  Keep chemicals which will react with one another in separate parts of the vehicle.

Do not leave material in hot, unventilated areas for long periods of time.

Do not smoke near chemicals.

About Electronic Recycling Collection Events

Electronics will also be accepted at eight separate collection events.  Please note that the county will accept a wider array of electronics than in the past which include the following:  TV’s -- all sizes and shapes -- CPU’s, monitors, laptops, printers, scanners, fax machines, keyboards, mice, speakers, copiers, VCR/DVD players, portable music players, digital converter boxes, cable/satellite receivers, CD players, telephones and telephone equipment, cell phones, video game consoles, digital cameras, PDA’s/calculators, stereo and radio equipment, electric typewriters, microwaves, toasters, irons, blenders, mixers, coffeemakers, vaccuums and other small household appliances.

The following items will not be accepted at Electronics Recycling Collection Events: household hazardous waste, explosives, ordinance material, infectious biologically active wastes, asbestos, radioactive material, alkaline batteries, household appliances/whitegoods, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, refrigerators, smoke detectors, tires and latex -- water based -- paint.

Both the household hazardous waste and electronics program is limited to private residents, and all commercial institutions should refer to EPA’s RCRA Universal Waste laws with regard to proper disposal. Through these laws it is illegal for a commercial, institutional, or governmental entity to dispose of these electronics, fluorescent bulbs, mercury, toxic chemicals, etc. in the regular municipal waste stream. 

County residents may bring materials to any of the regional locations.  For HHW the amount is limited to 220 pounds or 25 gallons per vehicle and each container cannot be more than five gallons. There is no limit restrictions for electronics brought to events.

All collection sites will be open from 9 AM to 3 PM.  For more information call the Montgomery County "Recycling Hotline" at (610)278-3618.  Also, visit our web-site at http://www.montgomerycountyrecycles.org/ for more information on the Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics collection program including a list of drop-off locations. 

The public may also sign up to receive email updates or ‘like’ us on Facebook  to keep informed on all things pertaining to recycling and hazardous waste in the County.

The 2012 collection sites and dates for Montgomery County are as follows:

Electronics Collection Events

Sat, March 17 – Philadelphia Premium Outlets

18 West Lightcap Rd. Limerick, PA 19464
(Free Outlets VIP Coupon Book, $5 value to each attendee)

Sat, April 21 – Indian Valley Middle School

130 Maple Ave. Harleysville, PA 19438 

Sat, May 5 - Norristown Area High School
    Enter at Corner of Burnside Ave. and Eagle Dr. Norristown, PA 19401 

Sat, June 30 – Wissahickon High School
     521 Houston Rd. Ambler, PA 19002 

Fri, July 20 – Ursinus College
      Corner of College Ave. and E. 9th Ave. Collegeville, PA 19426  

Fri, August 10 – Upper Perkiomen High School

              2 Walt Rd. Pennsburg, PA 18073

Sat, October 27 – Springfield Township High School
  1801 E. Paper Mill Rd. Erdenheim, PA 19038     

Thurs, November 15 – Montgomery Mall
  230 Montgomery Mall North Wales, PA 19454
America Recycles Day - Automotive tires will also be accepted at this event for recycling.

HHW Collection Events

Sat, March 24 – Pottsgrove Senior High School
     1345 Kauffman Rd. Pottstown, PA 19464

Sat, April 7 – North Penn High School
     1340 Valley Forge Rd. Lansdale, PA 19446

Sat, May 12 – Upper Merion Area Middle School
     Enter near 435 Crossfield Rd. King Of Prussia, PA 19406

Sat, June 23 – Temple Ambler
     Enter near 1431 E. Butler Pike Ambler, PA 19002

Fri, August 17 – Abington Junior High School
     970 Highland Ave. Abington, PA 19001

Sat, October 20 – Lower Merion Public Works
     1300 N. Woodbine Ave. Penn Valley, PA 19072


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here