In October, residents of the RDCK and RDCK Municipalities safely disposed of approximately 21,660 litres of hazardous liquids at four HHW round-up events held throughout the region. An additional 9,480 litres of paint were also collected at no charge to the RDCK by Product Care. Other miscellaneous items such as fire extinguishers, mercury, lead and compressed gas cylinders were also collected at the events held in Castlegar, Creston, Nakusp and Nelson.
In Nakusp, the substances collected were significant:
Paint 1290 litres
Batteries 31.75 kg
Aerosols 350 litres
Auto batteries 480 kg
Pesticides 10 litres
Solvents 30 litres
Appliances 1240 kg
Electronics 802 kg
Fluorescent tubes 95
Flammable solids 50 kg (adhesives, caulking, mothballs, waxes, sulphur, grease, briquettes, zinc dust)
Mercury 6 kg (thermometers, lamps, mercury fertilizer)
Waste oil 615 litres
Fire extinguishers 8
Compressed gas 10 canisters
“The results demonstrate that the residents of the RDCK and Municipalities want to keep our communities and environment free of hazardous waste. All the events were very well attended and we are pleased with the volume of materials that were collected and safely disposed of.” said Uli Wolf, General Manager of Environmental Services.
This is the first time that the RDCK has organized collection events for residents to safely dispose of household hazardous waste at no charge. “The round-up events were a worthwhile endeavour as there was a huge volume of toxic materials that we diverted from the landfill, thereby protecting the environment,” said John Kettle, RDCK Board Chair. Many common household products are toxic and can damage the environment if tossed in the garbage or flushed down the drain. Some materials collected at the round-up events like paint and electronics are recycled, while other hazardous materials are safely disposed of.
The RDCK would like to thank all the volunteers, Product Stewardship Organizations, Nelson Leafs Bottle Depot and contractors who worked hard at the events to ensure residents were served quickly and safely.
For more information about what was collected at the events: www.rdck.bc.ca, or information on B.C.’s product stewardship programs, including depot locations, visit: www.rcbc.bc.ca or 1-800-667-4321.