It’s good to hear that Lapeer County’s Clean Sweep and Household Hazardous Waste collection program is returning in 2022 and is open to all Lapeer County residents and farmers. This is an important opportunity to properly dispose of items that aren’t accepted in regular garbage pickups and can otherwise harm the environment if not handled properly. Essentially, these types of products are identified with warning labels that use the words caution, flammable, toxic, poison, corrosive and oxidizer and should never be dumped at random. They include everything from drain cleaners and antifreeze to batteries and light bulbs. Specifically, at Lapeer County’s event next month, accepted items will include the aforementioned plus mercury, oil-based paint, pool chemicals and pesticides, insecticides, herbicides and fungicides.
Naturally there are limits on what Lapeer County’s event can accept but other avenues exist for properly disposing of hazardous waste, including things like electronics. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy offers a listing of registered recyclers through their department’s website. Additionally, some townships offer tire recycling opportunities too. Goodland will host a collection event this Saturday, August 6, starting at 9 a.m. and Almont Township typically hosts their own every fall.
There’s no doubt that we all likely have something in our homes that requires this special kind of disposal. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average U.S. household generates more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste per year. They note that that waste can accumulate over the years and remain there until the residents move out or make a concerted effort to do an extensive cleanout.
So here’s everyone’s chance to keep that waste from piling up, or even worse, being accessed by children or pets, and hand it over to the professionals on September 21.
