M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 3 41 SAFE DISPOSAL OF hazardous items IN NAPA For various reasons, we often end up with products that are not safe to throw away in the garbage and require special handling to ensure that they don’t harm people and the environment. In fact, state law specifies that many hazardous products are banned from landfill disposal, and requires that you dispose of them in a safe and legal way. But just which type of products are we talking about, and what are the options in Napa for proper disposal? There are numerous products that pose hazards to the environment and people if not managed appropriately. These products include the examples listed below. Fortunately, Napa has options for safe and legal disposal of these items. One place where all these items are accepted is the Hazardous Waste Collection Facility , located at 889A Devlin Road between Napa and American Canyon. This facility is open to the public every Friday and Saturday between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, and there is no charge to dispose when the products are coming from a household. For businesses, appointments must be made by calling (800) 984- 9661 and fees apply. In 2011, approximately 7,500 residents of Napa County and Vallejo used the facility, which took in nearly 500,000 pounds of leftover paint and over 40,000 pounds of used batteries. In addition to the Hazardous Waste Collection Facility, both the City of Napa and County of Napa have worked with various local retailers to become collection points for certain hazardous products. Napa County has more than 25 retail locations where used alkaline or rechargeable batteries can be dropped off for proper recycling. Another 15 or so locations accept used motor oil, oil filters, anti-freeze and/ or auto batteries. There are also locations for take-back of fluorescent light bulbs and tubes under four feet long. Fluorescent lighting contains mercury, which can be harmful to people and the environment if managed improperly. Since the City of Napa’s 2010 introduction of the Lighting Efficiency and Safe Stewardship (LESS) program—which involves free take-back of fluorescents at five locations within the City of Napa—over one ton of bulbs and tubes have been recycled. Recently, Napa gained a location in town where both latex and oil-based paint can be taken for recycling. Napa’s Kely Moore paint store location now takes back unused paint for recycling under the State’s new PaintCare (take-back) program, in which a recovery fee is now charged on each gallon of paint sold; the funds are then used by the American Coatings Association to support a statewide collection and recycling program. This new system serves as an example of a true product stewardship program, also known as extended producer responsibility, where industry is responsible for handling the take-back of the hazardous products they produce at the end-of-life of those products. Options also exist for disposing of old tires. The Napa Recycling and Composting Facility , located at 820 Levitin Way off of Tower Road between Napa and American Canyon, takes tires throughout the year for a charge of five dollars per tire. Look for a coupon in your March garbage bill that will allow for a free load of tires brought to the facility. All of these options for safe and legal disposal of unwanted hazardous products can be found at www.NapaRecycling.com, or check Napa County’s Reduce Reuse Recycle Guide (in your phone book yellow pages under “R”). Products with potentially hazardous ingredients are not something that generally can be completely avoided. The good news is that options exist to deal with them properly. It is also important to focus on ways to reduce the amount of hazardous products that need to be disposed, by 1: choosing the right product for the job; 2: choosing the least toxic alternative; 3: buying only the amount you need or can use up; and 4: storing the product properly so it does not become unusable. By using local options to dispose of these items properly, we can comply with laws and help ensure that public health and the environment are protected. examples home: Polishes & cleaners Oven cleaners • Dr ain openers Lighter fluids Unwanted medications • Used syringes Mercury thermometers Cosmetics Fluorescent lamps/tubes Rechargeable or alkaline batteries garden or landscape: Fungicides • Insecticides Herbicides Pool chemicals garage or workshop: Latex & oil-based paints Paint thinner & strippers Wood preservatives Grease & rust solvents Wood & metal cleaners Glues & cements Photo chemicals Antifreeze • Transmission fluids Gasoline & fuel additives Carburetor cleaners Batteries Used oil & oil filters
NVLife_MarApr_2013
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