Many pesticides, cleaning products and paints contain toxic chemicals which should not be disposed of with household trash. Use these products up, give them away, or make an appointment for one of the household hazardous waste collection sites listed below.

ONGOING WEEKDAY COLLECTIONS:

Allegan County Health Department, 3255 122nd Ave., Suite 200, Allegan. Appointments available Tuesday and Thursday during regular business hours. YOU MUST CALL TO SCHEDULE A TIME, (269)673-5415.

SATURDAY COLLECTIONS:

By appointment only. Sites open at noted times but close after the last scheduled appointment.

Saugatuck Public Works Garage, 3338 Blue Star Hwy, Saugatuck. For appointments call Resource Recovery, (269) 673-5415.
Saturday, June 18, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Wayland Area Ambulance, 911 S. Main, Wayland. For appointments call Wayland City Hall, (269)792-2265 (Please do not call more than three weeks before the event).

Saturday, May 14, 2005 - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The following substances are accepted: PESTICIDES, WEED KILLERS, CLEANERS & POLISHES, AEROSOLS, WOOD PRESERVATIVES, ASPHALT & ROOFING TAR, OIL BASED PAINT PRODUCTS (THINNERS, SOLVENTS, VARNISH), PHOTOGRAPHIC CHEMICALS, MERCURY THERMOMETERS, FLOURESCENT LAMPS AND HOME REPAIR PRODUCTS (GLUE & CEMENT). NO smoke detectors, explosives or latex paints. Water based paints can be solidified with sawdust or kitty litter and safely disposed of with household trash. Residential materials only. Commercial wastes cannot be accepted.

MERCURY THERMOMETERS

The Health Department also accepts mercury thermometers for recycling and recommends that all area residents replace these dangerous instruments with safer digital devices. Mercury is a nerve toxin which accumulates in the body and can damage the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. If mercury spills from a broken thermometer and is not carefully and thoroughly cleaned up, it will continue to evaporate, reaching potentially harmful levels in indoor air. Mercury thermometers may be dropped off at the Health Department any time during business hours; no appointment is required. Wrap thermometers in plastic and place them in a sealed container (such as a disposable plastic jar, bottle or tub) for transport.

ELECTRONICS WASTE

Television and computer monitors contain significant amounts of lead and should not be disposed of with household trash. Kent County operates a free collection program for all residential electronics equipment, including televisions, computers, video games, fax machines, VCRs and radios. Equipment can be dropped off at Grand Rapids area Goodwill Stores or the South Kent Landfill, 300 100th St. SW, Grand Rapids. Landfill hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Questions? Call Resource Recovery (269) 673-5415