The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) mobile household hazardous waste collection service will be in Fayette, Hamblen, and Roane counties this Saturday, March 26th, according to the department.
During the day, all Tennesseans, no matter their zipcode, are encouraged to bring household hazardous waste – including cleaning fluids, pesticides, batteries and more – to a designated drop-off location, according to a press release by TDEC.
Household hazardous waste materials are considered flammable, toxic, reactive and/or corrosive and should not be placed with regular garbage, according to TDEC. Typical items to dispose of include cleaning fluids, pesticides, mercury thermometers and thermostats, fluorescent lamps, lithium and button batteries, aerosols, adhesives, medications, brake fluid, swimming pool chemicals, paint thinner and used needles in sturdy containers. Items not accepted include ammunition, explosives, alkaline batteries, paint, electronics, and any empty containers that should be disposed of in normal trash.
There is no cost or appointment necessary for household hazardous waste collection, the press release notes.
“We are pleased to provide this opportunity to dispose of household hazardous waste properly,” Commissioner David Salyers of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said in a statement. “We want to make it as convenient as possible for Tennesseans to demonstrate their commitment to protecting the environment.”
The drop-off locations for the service this Saturday are:
- Fayette County – Fayette County Landfill, 11675 Hwy. 76 S., Somerville, 8 a.m.–noon. The contact is Charles Traylor at (901) 465-5230.
- Hamblen County – Hamblen County Solid Waste, 3849 Sublett Rd., Morristown, 9 a.m–1 p.m. The contact is Becky Jo Moles at (423) 586-6422.
- Roane County – Roane County Recycling Facility, 215 White Pine Rd., Harriman, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. The contact is Tony Brashears at (865) 590-7779.
For those who cannot participate in this weekend’s service, an additional collection event will be held in Dyer County on April 30th.
Household Hazardous Waste Day collection event sponsored by @TNEnvironment and Dyer County will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Great time to get rid of household hazardous waste. Please call 731/287-0775 for more information! pic.twitter.com/7BdE5KnLGe
— Mayor John Holden (@MayorJohnHolden) March 24, 2022
When transporting materials to the site, TDEC advises those to “place containers in sturdy boxes lined with newspaper or plastic to prevent spills and cross-contamination in the trunk of a car or back of a truck,” and “be sure to keep materials away from children and pets.”
Since the program’s inception in 1993, more than 360,000 Tennessee households have properly disposed of more than 23 million pounds of material according to TDEC. There have been over 1,400 one-day collection events.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
