Hazardous Waste Round-Up This Weekend

— from San Juan County Public Works/Environmental Resources —

Many household items may be harmful to you, your family, animals, and the environment. San Juan County and the Washington Department of Ecology conduct annual Hazardous Waste Round-Ups to remove these toxic materials from our islands and maintain a healthy environment. The roundup events, individual households and businesses deliver their collected hazardous materials, where they are received and securely packaged by trained professionals, then barged to the mainland and taken to specialized disposal facilities. Collections of hazardous materials are prohibited on Washington State ferries and at terminals.

The 2017 Hazardous Waster Round-Up dates and locations are:
Orcas Island
Date: June 24, 2017
Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Location: Orcas Recycling Services
Address: 3398 Orcas Road
Lopez Island
Date: June 25, 2017
Time: 11 am – 2 pm
Location: Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District
Address: 2419 Fisherman Bay Road

What is Household Hazardous Waste?
Household hazardous wastes (HHW) can come in the form of liquids, solids, or contained gases. They are often ordinary commercial products, like cleaning fluids or pesticides. They should not be thrown in the trash or poured down the drain or on the ground. Island drinking water is particularly susceptible to contamination by discarded waste.

Accepted Items

Oil-based paints/stains/wood preservatives
Gasoline, kerosene, alcohols
Auto/boat repair products
Chemical cleaning supplies/solvents/thinners
Aerosols/adhesives
Contaminated motor oil or antifreeze

Households
There is no charge for households participating with up to 25 gallons (or the equivalent) of household hazardous waste.

Businesses
Local businesses that generate only small quantities of hazardous waste (SQG’s) participate in the round-up events at a a much lower cost than if they were to individually manage their own hazardous or moderate risk wastes. SQG businesses before the round-up event. A form is placed in the What’s New box at the top of this page.

Call the County Public Works office at 360-370-0534 if you have any questions.

Things to Remember

Fluorescent tubes and bulbs are now accepted for free at several locations in the County: Orcas Recycling Services/ Exchange; Ace Hardware on San Juan Island, and others. Opalco offices continue to accept the twisty bulbs (the type that fit in regular lamp sockets).
Vehicle Batteries are best recycled are accepted at no cost at Orcas Recycling Services and and a charge of $5 at Lautenbach on San Juan Island.
Household batteries can also be recycled and are accepted for $2 per pound at Orcas Recycling Services and for free at Ace hardware on San Juan Island.
Latex paint is not hazardous. To dispose of it as regular solid waste, either evaporate or thicken it with a material such as sawdust, and put the can in with the garbage.

All business hazardous waste needs a form. Please fill out your contact information and an estimated inventory and return the form a week before the event.

Unaccepted Items
Medical Waste
Medical wastes are not accepted in the HHW or SQG waste collection. Unwanted medications (pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter drugs). Call the Sheriff’s Office business line 360-378-4151 for advice on safe disposal. While San Juan County does not endorse any service for medical waste disposal, these websites may be helpful in finding a way to dispose of used sharps:

Stericycle
Sharps Disposal
More Sharps Disposal Info

Explosives
For proper disposal of unwanted ammunition, flares, or explosives, call the Sheriff’s office business line 360-378-4151.

Vehicle Waste
These common wastes from motor vehicles can be recycled or even reused. Take them to your island’s disposal site during regular hours to discard them in the marked containers.

Used Antifreeze
Motor Oil
Lead-Acid batteries