Cambridge countdown to household hazardous waste disposal

Cambridge’s first ever free household hazardous waste disposal drop off is scheduled for early September.

But people are being urged to register now because spaces are limited and only those who have pre-registered will be able to attend.

The Council-funded event follows a hugely successful Te Awamutu drop off in July. That event saw more than 100 people safely dispose of household hazardous waste including 43kgs of pool chemicals, 248kgs of household batteries, 700kgs of car batteries and 123 kgs of garden chemicals.

Around 1,400 litres of automotive waste was also collected and from that 200 containers were emptied and recycled.

Council’s waste minimisation officer Sally Fraser said the Te Awamutu event was a hit.

“It was a great turn out with more than 100 people involved, all keen to do the right thing and dispose of their household hazardous waste safely. We know there is demand for the same thing in Cambridge. This is a great opportunity to clear out chemicals from under sinks and out of garden sheds, and have them safely and responsibly disposed of.”

Some classes of hazardous waste can’t be mixed together as they react violently and can omit toxic fumes, she said. Placing them in the rubbish can put others at risk or can contaminate land or water.

“Recently council was alerted to a container of kerosene dropped in a drain in Pirongia. It had leaked into the soil and had potential to wash into the Waipā River. There was quite a bit of work involved in cleaning that up and this is exactly what we want to avoid.”

Fraser said commercial and agricultural waste types were not eligible for this event. Commercial and agricultural waste is typically more hazardous, more costly and dangerous to deal with, and comes in larger volumes than household items.

“No unregistered waste will be accepted and walk-ups are not possible. We need to know in advance what waste is coming so our contractor is prepared to safely handle the materials, and to plan transport and disposal.”

Those who register will be contacted prior to the event to confirm their dedicated time slot, event location and waste details.

The event will be on Sunday 4 September. Registrations open this Friday and close on Friday 26 August.

To register and find out more about what is eligible for safe disposal, head to www.myhazwaste.kiwi/local-collection-cambridge.