The groundhog may have predicted six more weeks of winter but that may not stop locals from getting a jump start on spring cleaning. Once the cleaning bug bites, the Washington stormwater department hopes that residents will be mindful of where they dispose of hazardous household waste. 

Hazardous household waste consists of household products containing corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients. These items include things like paint, batteries, oil, ink cartridges, light bulbs, and pesticides as well as other items that contain potentially hazardous ingredients that require special care to dispose of. 

Angela Quast, stormwater program coordinator, said properly disposing of the items is important for the environment. 

"When you don't properly dispose of these items, it pollutes the environment," said Quast, who said the Washington Household Hazardous Waste drop off facility, located at 304 E. Oak St., takes the items for proper disposal at no cost. "We also accept electronics or E-waste. We'll take anything with an electrical card as long as it doesn't contain Freon or other refrigerants." 

Quast, who keeps totals for the amounts of hazardous materials she ships to specialized facilities who can properly handle the items. "Some of the items I ship annually and others are shipped biennially so the quantities shipped each year fluctuate." she said, adding that how often the items are shipped depends on the amount of items collected at the facility. "Some places charge us more than others to take away certain household hazardous waste items. For instance, I shipped Mercury, found in light bulbs,  in 2013 but not 2014." 

More at source: Washington Times Herald

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