BLAKESLEE, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Weed killer, bleach, and lithium batteries; popular items found in homes across the country. But they also share one thing in common, poison.
“They’re poisonous number one. Secondly, if bleach mixes with another household cleaner, it could create certain noxious gasses.”
Kevin Kundratic is the Deputy Executive Director with the Monroe County Waste Management Authority.
He says they’re holding its bi-annual household hazardous waste disposal event Saturday – for many people clearing out their homes this time of year.
“Most people are cleaning out their attics, basements, and garages, it’s spring cleaning time and I’m sure that you’re going to find some poisonous things there. Some cleaners, some motor fluids.”
Kundratic says many of these items such as oil-based paint and motor oil are things you don’t want lying around your home, especially with children.
That’s why residents can properly dispose of them to be collected by chemists from Virginia.
“They’ll either recycle like motor oil, lithium batteries, they can be recycled. The other items, they need to dispose of them.”
These items could cause potential dangers to the environment and people if thrown away, ending up in a landfill and Kundratic says they can host more of these events if more residents utilize the service.
“We need the support of the community and we need a good turnout for these so that we can continue to do these.”
All Monroe County residents are eligible to register for Saturday’s event.
The household hazardous waste disposal runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
