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TALLAHASSEE ? The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is
encouraging Floridians to protect their health and the environment this holiday
season, and all year long, by remembering to properly dispose of and recycle
old, unwanted or unused household chemicals and electronics at household
hazardous waste collection centers conveniently situated throughout the state.
These facilities, established through funding provided by DEP to encourage
Florida residents to recycle and properly manage waste, provide free drop off
service as well as special collection events for items such as leftover paint,
used oil, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), pesticides, pool chemicals,
computers and other toxic items. Smaller counties which do not have permanent
centers collect these materials at annual household hazardous waste collection
events funded by DEP.
?Florida is a national leader in the prevention and proper management of
hazardous waste found in homes and small businesses,? said Mary Jean Yon,
Director of DEP?s Division of Waste Management. ?It is important to get the word
out that these items should not be poured down the drain, on the ground, into
stormwater collection systems or disposed in roadside garbage bins.?
DEP offers the following tips to help remind Floridians to properly dispose
of household chemicals and electronics this 2009 holiday season:
1. Preparing
your vehicle for holiday travel: Preparation for holiday travel sometimes
includes replacing your car?s oil and oil filter, coolant or other fluids that
need to be changed. Make sure you remember to recycle these materials at your
community household hazardous waste or used oil drop off center. If you have
someone else work on your car, ask how they dispose of the items.
2. Prepping
the yard for holiday visitors. If you do yard work this holiday season and come
across dirty gasoline or oil that you cannot use in your mower or edger, be sure
to take it to your community household hazardous waste collection center.
3.
Painting the house. When you involve the family in a painting project and you
find old paint in your garage or shed that will not be used , be sure to take it
to your household hazardous waste collection center or give paint that is still
usable to someone who needs it. Some counties offer free usable paint through a
?swap shop.? Contact your county for details.
4. Cleaning the pool for holiday
visitors. When cleaning the pool before guests arrive at your home, if you have
old pool chemicals that are unusable, be sure to take them to your household
hazardous waste collection center.
5. Working on holiday lighting projects. When
replacing old light fixtures with new ones, consider replacing old light bulbs
with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). And don?t forget to recycle any old
fluorescent bulbs. Also, consider replacing old or non-working holiday lights
with energy efficient lights such as LED (light-emitting diode) lights.
6.
Giving or receiving electronic game consoles or portable music devices as
holiday gifts. If a family member gives you the latest electronic gaming or
music device and you need a new home for your old one, consider donating working
electronics to a charitable organization or recycling them.
7. Giving or
receiving a television or computer as a holiday gift. Consider keeping old
televisions or computers for games or DVDs. You can also donate those that work
to a charitable organization or give them to a friend. If you can?t donate it or
give it to a friend, recycle it.
8. Giving or receiving a new cell phone. If a
family member or friend gives you a new cell phone, be sure to recycle the old
one. Most cell phone providers and retailers will accept your old cell phone for
recycling and some cell phone recycling companies donate working cell phones to
charitable organizations for reuse.
Hazardous waste is solid waste that is flammable, corrosive, reactive or
toxic, making it dangerous to both human health and the environment. When
disposed of with all other normal household wastes or tossed into community
dumpsters, these hazardous wastes may be routed to landfills that are not
adequately equipped to handle the materials. Improperly managed wastes have the
potential to contaminate ground water ? the primary source of Florida?s drinking
water supply.
With 45 counties that have permanent collection centers and 22 additional
counties that hold regularly scheduled collection events, more than 99 percent
of Florida?s households have access to household hazardous waste collection
services. In addition, in all of Florida?s 67 counties, small businesses receive
assistance with managing small amounts of hazardous waste through county and
regional planning council Small Quantity Generator (SQG) programs. To contact a
county or regional SQG program, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/hwRegulation/default.htm.
For your nearest drop-off location visit www.earth911.org/household or call
1-800-CLEANUP for a household hazardous waste collection point near you. To
learn more about DEP?s household hazardous waste program, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/hazardous/pages/household.htm.
To report illegal dumping of household hazardous waste on your cell phone
dial #DEP or 1-877-2-SAVE FL.
DEP is the state?s principal environmental agency, created to protect,
conserve and manage Florida?s environment and natural resources. DEP enforces
federal and state environmental laws, protects Florida?s air and water quality,
cleans up pollution, regulates solid waste management, promotes pollution
prevention and acquires environmentally sensitive lands for preservation. The
agency also maintains a statewide system of parks, trails and aquatic preserves.
To view DEP?s Web site, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us.
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2012 State of Florida