King County's Wastemobile gives residents the chance to dispose of hazardous waste

Wondering what to do with pesticides, dead car batteries or other household hazardous items? King County residents can safely dispose of these items and others by bringing them to the King County Wastemobile, Oct. 5-7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Redmond.

The Wastemobile, free of charge to King County residents, will be in the parking lot of Home Depot, at 17777 NE 76th St.

King County's Hazardous Wastemobile accepts pesticides, chlorine bleach, paint products, automotive products (oil, antifreeze, auto batteries, etc.), fluorescent bulbs/ballasts and other household hazardous items free of charge.

By properly disposing of these materials and keeping them out of drains and garbage, residents are helping safeguard their family's health and the environment.

Created in 1989, the Wastemobile was the first program of its kind in the nation. In its first 17 years in operation, the program collected15, 771 tons of household hazardous waste from 343,060 customers.

In its 26 collection events last year, the Wastemobile served more than 18,000 King County residents, collecting an average of 110 pounds of hazardous waste per customer, for a total of 1,000 tons.

"The intent of the program is to ensure safe, proper disposal of hazardous products people have in their homes," said Alexandra Thompson of King County's Solid Waste Division.

"Our goal is to make disposal of these hazardous materials easy so that they won't end up in the normal household trash. The number of residents that come out to these events lets us know that we are providing an important and convenient service," Thompson said.

For more information, including acceptable materials and quantity limits, call the King County Household Hazards Line, 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