By Jan Worth-Nelson
More than 80 dangerous household chemical and electronic items from acids to batteries to bleach to fluorescent lightbulbs to insecticides to paint thinners to tires to weed killers can be disposed of from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 22 at two area locations. They are:
— Flint East Water Service Center at 3310 E. Court St., Flint and
— Trinity Assembly of God at 4363 W. Mt. Morris Rd., Mt. Morris.
Also included in the list of accepted items are air conditioners, computers, cell phones, copiers, microwaves, printers, TV sets, and VCR players. A full list is available here at the KGCB website.
The event is a joint partnership between the City of Flint, Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission, and Keep Genesee County Beautiful. Collections had been held twice a year — spring and fall — but because of a large participation rate and the volume of hazardous materials in recent years, the partners added an additional collection — in August, for the first time — so the Oct. 22 collection is the third this year, according to Holly Lubowicki, KGCB program assistant.
Many items, though not all, can be dropped off year-round, Lubowicki emphasized. A list of items included in the year-round drop-off list, along with drop-off locations, can be found on the KGCB website here.
From 1993 to 2014 more than 2 million pounds of waste was collected from county residents, according to statistics kept by the Genesee County Metropolitan Commission. In 2014 alone, the collection events brought in 127,000 lbs. of household waste at a cost of $37,000 for proper disposal.
In a letter to participating municipalities, KGCB Program Director Karen West asked, “Have you considered where in your community these hazardous waste materials may end up if not for the…collection events?
“KGCB volunteers along with private residents have helped address the impact of illegal dumping and large item litter during community cleanup activities and events, but the problem continues to grow,” West said.
KGCB has been a partner in the process in 1993. A crucial part of the event is contracting with vendors that specialize in properly disposing of the items. That part of the effort is coordinated by the county planning commission, Lubowicki stated.
EVM Editor Jan Worth-Nelson can be reached at janworth1118@gmail.com.
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