Tonnes of toxic waste taken to HazMobile

Two boxes of toxic 60-year-old bug spray and hundreds of kilograms of other dangerous chemicals are amongst the tonnes of household hazardous waste handed in to Auckland Council’s HazMobile team so far this year.

Scheduled to do two more collections in 2011, the free drive-through HazMobile service is used by thousands of Aucklanders each year, ensuring their household hazardous waste is disposed of responsibly and recycled where possible.

Auckland Council Solid Waste Business Unit Manager, Jon Roscoe says the mobile service, which supplements year-round hazardous waste disposal available at three refuse transfer stations in the region, nets around 200,000kg of hazardous material annually, including thousands of old batteries and gas bottles and some particularly toxic chemicals.

“At the most recent collection, for example, we received two unopened boxes of a bug spray dating from the late 1940s found by a man clearing out his grandfather’s shed, plus an unopened container of another ‘antique’ insect spray – both of which contained DDT and lindane, which have been banned for decades.

“Ensuring these, harmful household and garden chemicals, and other hazardous items are taken out of harm’s way is the aim of the service. If the upcoming collections in Pakuranga and Takapuna go well, we’ll have our most successful year yet.”

Mr Roscoe says that 12 collections have already been successfully completed so far this year, across nine locations in the region.

“All people need to do is box up their household hazardous waste, load it into their vehicle or trailer and drive to an allocated HazMobile site on its collection date.

“When they arrive, people should advise the HazMobile team if they have any particularly hazardous, old or leaking waste and remain inside their vehicles, leaving our trained staff to unload and dispose of the waste appropriately.”

The following items can be disposed of via the HazMobile service or throughout the year at the Snell’s Beach, Silverdale and Waitakere refuse transfer stations:

• household chemicals (e.g. cleaning products, solvents and glues)
• garden chemicals (e.g. pesticide and fertiliser)
• automotive products (e.g. waste oil, petrol and brake fluid)
• fluorescent tubes and energy-saving light bulbs
• gas bottles
• batteries
• mobile phones
• lead-based paint and anti-fouling paint
• bitumen.

In addition, households’ used engine oil can also be disposed of year-round via free oil recovery bins around the region under a pilot scheme initiated by Auckland Council.

For more information on the HazMobile visit www.hazmobile.govt.nz, while for more information on the oil recovery project visit www.oilrecycling.org.nz.