After its debut in January of this year, a localized transportation-based recycling system has reached 1,242 residents and small businesses, which county officials said was encouraging better disposal of hazardous waste.
New Hanover County’s HazWagon stops at Wrightsville Beach Municipal Complex every Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. to collect on average 1,700 pounds of household hazardous waste and electronics.
The mobile recycling collection program brings free recycling closer to residents, making the choice to go green a little easier.
“The HazWagon was created in response to feedback from citizens who wanted a more convenient way to dispose of household hazardous waste,” said environmental management director Joe Suleyman. “The HazWagon will make it easier for residents to do their part and divert these contaminates from the landfill.”
Some of the materials collected include acids, batteries, antifreeze, aerosols, fertilizers, herbicides, household cleaners, motor oil, needles and electronics. A full list can be found on the county’s environmental management website.
“This waste can be harmful to our health and to the environment if it is absorbed into the ground or into our water supply,” Suleyman said.
The county’s environmental management website states that 1 gallon of motor oil can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water, increasing the pertinence of safe waste disposal.
Communications and outreach coordinator, Jessica Loeper, said the HazWagon program has already been a success in increasing citizen’s participation in the recycling program.
The localized collections have brought 29.9 tons of hazardous waste in the first two months of operation without reducing the flow of traffic to the permanent facility on Highway 421 North. Loeper said this indicates that most, if not all, of the residents recycling through the HazWagon are first time users.
“The way that we can ascertain the customers are first time users of the household hazardous waste program is that the number of customers at our permanent facility has not decreased,” Loeper said.
In addition to the collection center in Wrightsville Beach, the HazWagon stops at the Ogden Park ball fields on Mondays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and at the Carolina Beach Mike Chappell Park on Fridays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
After materials are collected, they are transported to the permanent facility where they are recycled, repurposed, neutralized, used to generate alternative power or disposed of according to state and federal law.
More recycling information can be found here: http://recycling.nhcgov.com/services/household-hazardous-waste/
