King County's Wastemobile comes to Des Moines, Feb. 18-20

2005 Archived News

King County residents can bring their household hazardous wastes to a three-day Wastemobile event in Des Moines on Feb. 18-20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Wastemobile will be located in the north parking lot of Des Moines Marina. To reach the site from Interstate 5, take Kent-Des Moines Road, then follow the highway signs to Des Moines. Go west on South 227th Street to the marina.

King County's Hazardous Wastemobile accepts pesticides, paint products, automotive products (such as oil, antifreeze and auto batteries), fluorescent bulbs/ballasts and other household hazardous items. All items are accepted free of charge. The program serves 26 cities and recycles or reuses 85 percent of the waste collected.

Created in 1989, King County's Wastemobile was the first program of its kind in the nation. In 16 years in operation, the program has collected 12,661 tons of wastes from 287,000 customers. In 25 collection events last year, the Wastemobile served almost 17,000 King County residents, collecting an average of 78 pounds of hazardous waste per customer (for a total of 661 tons).

For more information, including acceptable materials and quantity limits, call the King County Household Hazards Line at 206-296-4692, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., except holidays. Recorded information is available after hours.

Information is also available on the Wastemobile Web site at www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/wastemobile/index.html