Central Coast Council is once again encouraging residents to clear any unwanted hazardous chemicals in homes, garages and sheds, to be correctly disposed of at the next bi-annual Chemical CleanOut events later this month.
The events will be held over two consecutive weekends on February 22 and 23 at the Event Park, Kariong (off Kangoo Rd), and February 29 and March 1 at Long Jetty Depot, corner of The Entrance and Wyong Rds, between 9am-3.30pm each day.
Council Unit Manager, Waste Services and Business Development, Andrew Pearce, said that for the first-time, residents will be able to drop off up to 100 litres of paint.
“It is fantastic to see an increased amount of paint accepted, as it is consistently the most collected item, often accounting for more than half of the total amount dropped off,” Pearce said.
“All other materials continue to have a 20 litre or 20 kilogram maximum container size per item, and paints must also be in containers of 20 litres or less, for the health and safety of handlers.
“I would urge everyone to use this opportunity and have a good search around their property to ensure safe and responsible disposal of any potentially hazardous items.
“This includes any unknown or unidentified items, as they will be accepted for identification and correct disposal.”
Other items accepted include car and household batteries, smoke detectors, pesticides, gas bottles and fire extinguishers, as well as fluorescent globes and tubes.
Only household quantities are accepted.
Mayor, Lisa Matthews, said the consistent response to previous Chemical CleanOut events showed that residents were truly committed to disposing of waste responsibly.
“Incorrect disposal can cause serious environmental effects, polluting our region’s waterways, and could also attract penalties and fines,” Cr Matthews said.
“These events are only one of an array of resource recovery initiatives Council offers, and I would encourage the community to check what recycling options beyond your yellow bin are available before placing items in household waste bins.”
The Household Chemical CleanOut program is sponsored by the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, Paintback and Central Coast Council.
Source:
Media release, Feb 6
Central Coast Council