KDKA.com Consumer Web Extras
Sep 29, 2008 9:20 am US/Eastern
Hazardous Waste Disposal Days Offered
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
Household hazardous waste collections are a great opportunity to clear out that toxic trash that accumulates in your home.
We've all got it -- those half empty cans of old paint, paint thinner and fertilizer.
They are all things you can't or at least shouldn't toss out in the trash, pour down the drain or burn in the backyard.
"I think what happens more often than not is that people don't know how to get rid of them so they just stockpile them," said Dave Mazza of the Pennsylvania Resources Council. "They just gather them up in the garage, in the shed or in the basement.
The Environmental Protection Agency says that the average family has about 100 pounds of household hazardous waste.
So gather up your poisonous pesticides and your caustic chemicals, this is your chance to get rid of them.
All you have to do is pack up your toxic waste.
There's a drive-through drop-off so you don't even have to get out of your car, but there is a fee of $2 a gallon.
Organizers warn you not to mix anything together.
Just pack them up in their original containers with tight fitting lids and put them inside a box.
In the past five years, more than 1.4 million pounds of toxic waste has been collected.
For detailed information visit
www.swpahhw.org or call
(412) 488-7452.
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