Through a partnership between Carter County and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation residents will have a chance this weekend to get rid of potentially dangerous items around their home.
Each year, Carter County and TDEC join forces to sponsor two Household Hazardous Waste Collection events — one in the Spring and one in the Fall.
“It is our goal to make disposing of household waste convenient and reliable for Tennessee citizens, and at no cost,” said TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau. “Every Spring and Fall we roll out these events statewide to ensure unneeded waste is not posing a risk to citizens.”
This year’s Fall event is slated for Saturday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Carter County Recycling Center, located at 411 Cherokee Park Road in Elizabethton.
“Anyone who lives in Tennessee can use this,” said Carter County Solid Waste Director Benny Lyons.
The event here in Carter County is one of three sponsored by TDEC taking place across the state on Saturday, with the remaining two being held in Madison and Sumner counties.
The disposal rules for this event are the same as the Household Hazardous Waste collections previously held in the county, Lyons said.
“They’re still not accepting paint,” he said.
Among the items accepted for the event are: automotive and marine products; home maintenance/improvement products; home lawn and garden products and chemicals; photo processing chemicals; compressed gas; mercury; thermometers; medications; paint thinners; cleaning fluids; and fluorescent light bulbs.
Items which are not accepted are: latex paints; medical or biological waste; tires; radioactive materials; business or institutional waste; empty fuel storage containers; empty automotive gas tanks; ammunition; explosives; alkaline batteries; electronics; or laboratory chemicals.
This event provides residents with a free and safe means of disposal for these items and Lyons encourages residents to take advantage of the event if they have any of these items around their homes.
When transporting Household Hazardous Waste materials to the event for disposal, TDEC recommends containers be placed in sturdy boxes lined with newspaper to prevent spills and cross-contamination in the trunk of a car or back of a truck. Be sure to keep materials away from children and pets. Materials should be kept in the original containers whenever possible. If not, place each waste in a separate plastic container with a secure lid and label its contents.
For more information, contact Benny Lyons at 423-297-4149 or 543-6626.