March 13, 2008
Planning Ahead: Hazardous Waste Collection is April 26
I've got an old printer in my house that doesn't work, and won't ever work again. It's been sitting in the exact same spot for two years, collecting dust, as I've had no idea what to do with it. You can't just throw those things in the garbage, they're full of toxic something or other! Well a reminder posted by the D.C. Department of Public Works has prompted me to block off a chunk of time in my Google calendar for April 26, the date that's been set for the department's annual spring Household Hazardous Waste and E-Cycling collection event. Hello, spring cleaning. Goodbye, crappy old printer.
On Saturday, April 26, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre parking lot at 16th and Kennedy Streets NW, District residents may drop-off hazardous waste for proper disposal and recycling. I wish they held these events more often. After the jump, you'll find a complete list of acceptable items to bring. But before we get to that, here's a list of items you CAN'T get rid of in the District.
Unacceptable:
*Ammunition
*Bulk trash
*Wooden TV consoles
*Propane tanks
*Microwave ovens
*Air conditioners and other appliances
*Radioactive or medical wastes
Bulk trash and ammo we get, but what exactly are you supposed to do with an old microwave? Just toss it? Acceptable items list is below.
D.C. residents are encouraged to bring the following items to the Household Hazardous Waste and E-Cycling collection event on April 26:
*Leftover cleaning and gardening chemicals
*Small quantities of gasoline
*Pesticides and poisons
*Mercury thermometers
*Paint
*Solvents
*Spent batteries
*Antifreeze
*Chemistry sets
*Automotive fluids
*Asbestos floor tiles (personally, not sure I'd want to transport those myself)
*Computers (they'll also wipe your hard drive clean for you)
*Computer monitors and other accessories
*Televisions
*Office equipment
*Cell phones
*Stereo equipment
We'll remind you again closer to the actual date, but in the meantime, start thinking about what you've got lying around that it's high time you properly chucked out. Here's the FAQ on household hazardous materials from DPW.
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Instead of throwing away your cell phone, consider donating it to victims of domestic violence.
I've seen drop off bins at Verizon stores and Whole Foods (I'm sure there are tons more) or ship it for free to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: http://www.ncadv.org/files/BodyShop-NCADVPre-paidLabel.pdf
Well what if you're busy that day. Is there a drop point at DPW where we can bring this stuff any time? Enquiring minds want to know.
I wish there was. They do this twice a year in the District, and that's it.
If you miss it or just want to make money off E-recycling, consider Greensight Trade-In and Recycling Program.
http://www.greensight.com
And any word on who DC will contract to handle the electronic recycling? Because it is better to let it sit in your basement than have it shipped to China where their haphazard methods are causing tremendous pollution and worker illnesses. BTW Greensight follows EPA regulations when disposing equipment.
i went to the collection last fall at the benning road trash transfer station (right behind the minnesota ave. metro station), and it was great. moved very quickly, and DPW had a ton of people there.
seemed like most people were getting rid of paint, and it was cool to see all that paint getting mixed together into huge 55 gal. drums.
I don't have a car. Can all the listed stuff be brought on the metro or the bus to get to the location?
I've heard there's been discussion of expanding the collection day beyond two days a year. Stay posted to the DPW website.
Transporting asbestos tiles isn't really a hazard.. ripping them up from the floor is another story, though.
If you have big trash items (e.g. appliances, broken furniture, etc.) the District allows you to schedule special trash pick-up free of charge. I think you're limited to two pick-ups a year, but check the DC website for info. There's also contact info on there about scheduling the time.
I scheduled a pick-up shortly after doing some minor redocorating at my house. It worked well.
I'm not sure what the deal is with microwaves. I took mine to the transfer station and asked one of the employees there what I was supposed to do with it. He asked if it worked, I said no, and he told me to put it in the same pile as the rest of the trash. The fact that microwaves are singled out makes me think this probably wasn't the correct procedure, but they were busy so I didn't press the issue.
As long as the asbestos tiles aren't friable you can be reasonably safe. If you want to be sure, wet them down a little first so they don't...um...fri all over your car.
We have a giant old air conditioner we need to get rid of and I have absolutely no idea what to do with it. It is apparently not possible to dump it in DC.
dcdolly you'll have to find a recycler who will take it, due to the CFCs. Usually there is a small fee for this.
dcdolly & DCist, DC actually has an *incredibly* humane and perfect system for getting rid of microwaves, air conditioners, and other large appliances: you just call and schedule a pickup from them! Check out the following page on DC.gov:
http://dpw.dc.gov/dpw/cwp/view,a,1203,q,518080,dpwNav,|31202|.asp
All you have to do is call 311 and schedule a pickup, which typically is within a week or two. Then, on that day, you put the item in the same place your trash is normally collected, and they come and take it away! I had them take two air conditioners not too long ago, and even confirmed with them that I didn't need to remove any coolant or fluids beforehand.
Honestly, this is *way* better than having to cart them out to a trash dump.
And dcdolly, after seeing Politburo's comment, I want to make sure I was clear: I specifically called and asked a supervisor at DC Public Works if I needed to remove any CFCs or anything else from the air conditioners I was having them pick up, and they said no -- they handle that for air conditioners via a recycler.