NEW PROVIDENCE – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders will sponsor a Household Special Waste Collection event on Saturday, Oct. 19, so Union County residents can get rid of outdated or unwanted household chemicals, mercury thermostats, propane tanks, and automobile tires in an environmentally safe manner. The household hazardous waste collection will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alcatel-Lucent Technologies facility located at 600 Mountain Ave. in New Providence.
The Oct. 19 event will be the final county-sponsored household hazardous waste collection for this year. Residents of Union County are eligible to participate at no cost. Pre-registration is not required for this special collection.
All that residents need to do is drive to the site with their household special waste, propane tanks, automobile tires, and mercury thermostats. Workers at the site will unload the vehicles.
“Household special waste” includes oil-based paint and varnish, antifreeze, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, thinners, fire extinguishers, motor oil and oil filters, gasoline, batteries, thermostats, unbroken fluorescent bulbs, blood pressure devices and mercury switches. Only materials in original or labeled containers will be accepted. No containers larger than five gallons will be accepted.
Latex paint and empty paint cans will not be accepted. They should be disposed of with the regular garbage. Leftover latex paint can be air-dried or, to hasten the drying process, kitty litter and/or newspaper can be added to hasten the drying.
Also, there is a limit of eight automobile tires, without rims, per household.
A complete list of the materials that will be accepted on Oct. 19 is available at the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning web site at www.ucnj.org/recycle.
The household hazardous waste collection will be held rain or shine, for Union County residents only and not for businesses. Proof of Union County residency is required. For more information, call the recycling hotline at 908-654-9889.