Another recycling tip: What to do with hazardous waste

Courtesy of Mid-America Regional Council

Courtesy of Mid-America Regional Council

Judging from the interest in a hazardous waste recycling event the city sponsored last weekend, Midtown residents have a lot of potentially dangerous items they’d like to recycle.

The Mid-America Regional Council is encouraging people in Midtown and throughout the Kansas City to step up their efforts at recycling. They’ve offered this tip on using the Regional Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Program to make homes safer.

MARC says since 1997, the program has helped residents across the Kansas City region safely dispose of old paint, lawn and garden chemicals, batteries and other unsafe materials that should not be thrown in the trash, poured down the drain, or dumped on the ground.

With thousands of hazardous products available over the counter, MARC says, it’s likely that residents have some household hazardous materials in their homes.

“When these products are no longer wanted, they are considered waste. Safe disposal of HHW helps protect water quality and avoid problems such as illegal dumping, fire hazards, and even emergency hospital visits,” it says.

Residents of Kansas City, Missouri and other communities participating in the Regional HHW Collection program can drop off their HHW at the facility located at 4707 Deramus Street at no charge. Hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is required, but ID as proof of residency is needed;;;p. Business waste, including nonprofit businesses, is not accepted due to regulations. For more information, visit kcwaterservices.org/hhw or call 816-513-8400.

 

One Comment

  1. To be honest, I’ve always just thrown things like chemicals and paint in the regular trash when getting rid of it. I didn’t realize that household items like these needed to be disposed of in a different way than regular waste. It’s really cool that Kansas City has a program like this to help people know the right ways to get rid of their hazardous trash. I’ll have to see if my area has anything like that.

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