Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day Set for February 8 in Georgia's Gwinnett County

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Jan. 21, 2025 - PRLog -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines household hazardous waste (HHW) as leftover household products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances or that are corrosive or toxic. Special care should be exercised when disposing of HHW, which first inspired Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources to create Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days to help residents safely rid their homes of HHW. Hosted two times a year, the first Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day of 2025 will take place on Saturday, February 8, from 9 a.m. to noon at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. Since its launch in 2018, the event has collected 1,066,670 pounds of HHW for proper disposal.

"Some of our neighbors don't realize the dangers of tossing household hazardous waste in their curbside trash bin," said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. "Once dumped in a garbage truck or a landfill, they could explode, catch fire, seep into the soil, and potentially harm sanitation workers. We all must take intentional steps to dispose of them properly. While our HHW events provide an avenue for our neighbors to dispose of their household hazardous waste properly, they can also take steps to start swapping them for more eco-friendly options. There are natural swaps for glass cleaner, furniture polish, silver polish, and even mothballs that are non-toxic. And with more and more companies becoming more environmentally conscious, there are more eco-friendly products on store shelves. The EPA offers an entire webpage devoted to its Safer Choice Program with a list of products deemed Safer Choice-certified. Until then, for that household hazardous waste, our neighbors already have in their homes, we hope to see them February 8!"

For a full list of Household Hazardous Waste that will be collected during the event, visit https://gwinnettcb.org/events/household-hazardous-waste-c....

Marlatt has issued a call for volunteers to help collect items from participant's vehicles, direct traffic, and organize stations to ensure that the event runs smoothly. To register as a volunteer, visit https://cerv.is/0024×4765. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds is located at 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy in Lawrenceville.

"We're expecting big crowds," added Marlatt. "Traffic will likely get a bit backed up. I promise that we will do our very best to keep the lines moving most expeditiously. My team and I ask attendees to keep in mind that most of the helpers that they'll see that morning are staff members and volunteers who have given up a part of their Saturday to help their neighbors. Please be patient, and we'll get you on your way."

To explore the EPA's list of Safer Choice-certified products, visit https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice.