Household hazardous waste collection event to return on Aug. 13

Photo by Tom Rivers: Employees with Environmental Enterprises in Cincinnati collect household hazardous waste from Orleans County residents in this photo from Aug. 14, 2021. Many of the fluids were emptied into large drums to be hauled away.

ALBION – Orleans County will again be running a household hazardous waste collection event in August that will be free to residents.

The county has approved a contract with Environmental Enterprises in Cincinnati to be in Albion on Aug. 13 for the event, which will be at the Orleans County DPW on West Academy Street.

Residents will need to register for a time slot to bring household hazardous waste. The county expects it will start taking registrations in mid-June. The county will advertise and promote the registrations when it is ready in about a month to start assigning slots.

Last year there was a big demand for the disposal with 320 residents quickly filling up the time slots. There were about 100 other residents who wanted to dispose of items.

The county will try to accommodate more people this year, said Jim Bensley, the county’s director of the Department of Planning and Development.

The agreement with Environmental Enterprises includes aerosol cans, anti-freeze, chemicals (labpacks), corrosive acids, corrosive bases, fluorescent tubes, household cleaners miscellaneous chemicals, latex paint (Paint Care program), oil base paints (liquids), oil base paints & varnishes (sludges), oil filters, organic liquids, oxidizers, pesticides/insecticides, pesticides/insecticide (dioxin precursors), poisons, resins & adhesives (with cans), and waste oil.

The event typically costs about $18,000 to collect and haul away the waste, with state paying half of the cost.

The county on Aug. 13 also will accept up to 10 tires from residents in a separate contract with Modern Disposal Services. The county last year collected 1,200 tires during the event.