Safe disposal of household hazardous waste rests in your hands

Calgary, AB – Have old paint, yard chemicals or household cleaners hanging around? Calgarians with leftover household hazardous waste can bring those chemicals year-round to one of The City’s nine designated Household Hazardous Waste drop-off locations.

 

The City is reminding residents that household hazardous waste must be properly packaged and clearly labelled before it’s brought to a drop-off.

Landfill Operations Leader Corey Colbran says household hazardous waste must be in a sealed, spill-proof container. “It’s for your safety, the safety of the workers who will handle and process the chemicals and to protect the environment. If your chemical is in a container that has a crack in it or the lid is missing, there might be a spill which could harm someone or damage the environment.”

 

Clear labelling is also important. Colbran emphasizes if the label on the container is unreadable or missing, or you can’t use the original container, please re-label it with the true contents. “When we collect your household hazardous waste for safe processing, we need to know what it is. We don’t want to mix it with something it shouldn’t be mixed with, which could cause an explosion or the release of dangerous fumes.”

Colbran thanks residents for using the Household Hazardous Waste drop-off program, and for doing it safely.

 

“When you properly package and label the chemicals you bring to us, you are doing the most important thing to minimize the risk to your safety, the safety of others and to the environment.” 

 

The Household Hazardous Waste drop-off program is a joint initiative between the Calgary Fire Department and Waste & Recycling Services. There are nine year-round Household Hazardous Waste drop-off locations including the three City landfills and six select Fire Stations. To learn more or find a location near you, visit Calgary.ca/waste or contact 311.

Onward/The City operates household hazardous waste drop off locations throughout Calgary. Provincial Regulations:  Safe disposal of all hazardous materials.

 

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