Hazardous Household Wastes
The objective of the County's efforts to reduce hazardous waste is primarily to protect public health. Keeping hazardous materials out of the landfill protects the groundwater underneath the landfill and further reduces potential pollution liability. Orange County has several ways of assisting citizens and businesses to manage these potentially polluting materials, instead of landfilling them. Last year, Orange County citizens recycled 402 tons of hazardous waste, antifreeze, motor oil, oil filters, latex paint, batteries, and electronics. Click here to find out about alternatives to toxics.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection:
Orange County Solid Waste Management collects household hazardous waste (HHW) six days per week.
Collection hours are
Monday through Friday
10:00 am- 6:00 pm
Saturday from 7:30 am- 12:00 noon
at the Orange County Landfill on Eubanks Rd.
Residents bringing hazardous wastes to the collection facility while the Landfill is open should be prepared to stop at the scalehouse first. Weekdays 4:00-6:00 p.m. when the Landfill is closed, the gate will be open for residents to go directly to the HHW collection facility. No other landfill services are available during this time.
Business Hazardous Waste: Businesses that generate less than 220 pounds of Hazardous Waste per month can use the Orange County Hazardous Waste Collection facility at no additional charge! Businesses using this facility must sign an affidavit that states they are a "Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator".
Businesses with more than 50 gallons of paint or similar amount of material are asked to call (919) 968-2788 to set up an appointment first.
Federal Law divides commercial generators of hazardous waste into three categories: Large Quantity Generators (over 2,200 pounds per month), Small Quantity Generators (220 to 2,200 pounds per month) and Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators (under 220 pounds per month). Federal Law regulates the first two types of hazardous waste generators, and businesses that have this amount of hazardouis waste should call (919) 968-2788 for technical assistance, or see the State Department of Environment and Natural Resources' web site for assistance: wastenot.enr.state.nc.us/hwhome/hwhome.htm, or contact their Customer Service Hotline: www.envhelp.org or 1-877-623-6748.
The Household Hazardous Waste Collection is a cooperative program, which allows residents of Chatham, Durham, Orange and Wake Counties to bring the following types of items for safe disposal. Orange County residents can use the HHW collections in these other counties as well.
The following items are accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection- lawn, garden, and pool chemicals
- household cleaners and chemicals
- all batteries (also accepted at Solid Waste Convenience Centers)
- paint
- sealant
- solvents
- aerosol cans (if aerosol spray cans are completely empty they can be recycled with residential or dropoff recycling)
- automotive chemicals
- fluorescent light bulbs and tubes
- thermostats and thermometers containing mercury
- tanks from compressed gasses
- anti-freeze and other automotive fluids
Bring items in their original containers with original labels intact whenever possible.
Do not mix wastes. Do not bring explosives, infectious wastes, or radioactive materials.
Alternatives to hazardous cleaners and pesticides: The best, cheapest alternative is prevention or reduction of the use of hazardous materials. New non-toxic substitutes are being invented every day. Old reliable cleaners such as baking soda and lemon juice are being rediscovered. Sometimes they require a little more time or elbow grease, but the savings to your pocketbook and the earth can be worth the 'trouble'.
Visit these sites to find low-cost but effective substitutes.
www.hhwlist.org
www.beyondpesticides.org
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/citrus.htm
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/epasafe22.htm
http://www.informinc.org/CFHbook.htm
Used Motor oil: Oil collection tanks are located at all five Solid Waste Convenience Centers and at the Hazardous Household Waste collection facility. The used oil we collect is cleaned and used as boiler fuel. Some is reprocessed into lubricating oil. It is unlawful to dispose of motor oil in landfills, down drainage ditches or into storm sewers. Please recycle your motor oil! One gallon of motor oil when dumped into fresh water can foul 1,000,000 gallons of drinking water supply.
Antifreeze: Recycle in a separate yellow tank at the Solid Waste Convenience Centers. Do not mix it with motor oil.
Kerosene, transmission fluid, gear oil, heating oil, and diesel fuel can also be recycled in the oil collection tanks. Not accepted are gasoline, solvents, mixed gas, and brake fluid. Bring these fluids to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection.
Oil Filters: These filters can be recycled at the Solid Waste Convenience Centers. The steel is recovered to make new steel and the paper and oil are burned for fuel. Each filter, even after being hot-drained, can contain as much as 4 ounces of motor oil that may still leak out. The State of North Carolina has banned Oil Filters from being disposed of in North Carolina Landfills.
Batteries: All types of batteries can now be recycled at Solid Waste Convenience Centers and at the Hazardous Household Waste Collection. Automobile batteries, also known as wet-cell batteries, can be stacked on pallets located at each center. When processed, the lead, plastic and sulfuric acid are all separated for recycling. Auto-battery retailers in North Carolina are also required by law to take these batteries back.
Dry cell batteries of all types, flashlight, button cell, hearing aid, camera, etc. can be dropped off at special containers now located at each convenience center of at the HHW collections. Those batteries are sorted by type and recycled according to what they contain.
Customers at Radio Shack at University Mall or Eastgate Mall locations can drop off dry cell batteries there.
Paint: While we encourage citizens to take their leftover paint to the Hazardous Household Waste Collections, there are other methods for getting rid of small amounts of latex paint. If all you have is a small amount of paint, it may help you avoid having to go to the HHW.
Small amounts of paint may be safely dried out and landfilled by simply air-drying the can if there is less than ½ inch of paint, or adding an absorbent such as kitty litter or sand to the can contents. When dry, dispose the can with household waste, by leaving the lid off the can, so the waste collectors can see that it is empty and filled with a drying agent.
If the can is metal, and is completely empty with only a dried residue of paint, it can be recycled at drop-off sites with other metal cans. Paint cans will not be recycled at the curb, even if empty.
Fluorescent lamps contain mercury and should not be broken or disposed in a landfill. (See State Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance web site:
www.p2pays.org/mercury/ for more information). Households may bring these lamps, including compact screw-in fluorescents, to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection. While households are exempt from any Federal or State regulations on hazardous waste disposal, businesses and institutions such as schools, churches or social service agencies are not. Therefore, make sure any business church, agency or school you are associated with has a proper fluorescent lamp disposal policy. The new reduced-mercury 'alto' lights produced by Philips are an exception and can be distinguished by the green cap on the ends.
