Area residents will have more opportunities than ever this summer to safely dispose of their troublesome household wastes, including paint, household chemicals and electronics. Mid Michigan Waste Authority’s problem waste program has expanded to include five to six drop-off days per month.
The program, which is offered free of charge to residents of Saginaw County, Bethany Twp, Village of Breckenridge and Wheeler Twp, has also been retooled to reflect the county’s problem waste disposal needs.
“When we reviewed the data from our 2015 household special waste events, the first thing we noticed was that paint made up nearly two-thirds of the materials collected,” Katharine Tessin, MMWA Administrative Director, said. “We want to be responsive to the county’s needs, so this year we are offering three days per month solely devoted to paint collection.”
Electronics and hazardous waste will also get their own days, Tessin said, to make the drop-off experience quicker and easier for residents.
All events will be held from 9 am to 1 pm at MMWA’s Community Resource Recovery Center, 2063 S Miller Rd, Saginaw, located at the SE corner of Miller and Ederer Roads in James Twp.
The 2016 MMWA household special waste schedule is as follows:
Tech Tuesdays
9 am – 1 pm
First two Tuesdays of each month:
June 7, June 14
July 5, July 12
Aug. 2, Aug. 9
Sept. 6, Sept 13
What to bring: computers, printers, laptops, phones, keyboards, scanners, cables & cords, hard drives, mice, tablets, televisions, computer monitors and fax machines
Thanks to a manufacturer-supported recycling program, Mid Michigan Waste Authority will NOT be charging residents who take part in the organization’s Tech Tuesday e-waste drop-off days on September 6 and 13. At previous collection days, residents paid a portion of the cost of recycling older-style televisions and computer monitors to help offset the expense of recycling these items.
MMWA’s e-waste partner, SVRC Industries, is working with a Michigan company that has secured a contract to provide up to 1 million pounds of free CRT (cathode ray tube) recycling through September 30.
Paint Wednesdays
June 8 and 15, and then first three Wednesdays, July – Sept.
9 am to 1 pm
June 8 and June 15
July 6, July 13, July 20
Aug 3, Aug 10, Aug 17
Sept 7, Sept 14, Sept 21
What to bring: latex paint, spray paint, acrylic paint, oil based paint, stain/varnish, and caulk
HOUSEHOLD Hazardous Waste
9 am – 1 pm
Fourth Tuesday of each month June-Sept:
June 28, July 26, Aug 23, Sept 27
What to bring: motor oil, fluorescent bulbs, gasoline, lawn/garden chemicals, antifreeze, glues & adhesives, mercury, lead acid batteries, wiper fluid, misc cleaners, kerosene, degreasers, acids, metal cleaners, aerosols and smoke detectors
On hazardous waste days, residents can also drop-off unused, unwanted or expired medications for proper disposal. Only prescription and over-the-counter medications are accepted: no needles or sharps.
Residents who possess unknown or unlabeled wastes should call MMWA to schedule a special appointment. Unknown chemicals or substances should not be brought to any drop-off events.
For safe preparation and transport of problem wastes in your vehicle, please follow these guidelines: Keep chemical products in original containers whenever possible. Do not mix products together. Be sure all containers are tightly sealed, and placed in sturdy boxes in an upright position. Never transport leaking or open containers. Containers up to five-gallon in size will be accepted, but containers cannot be returned. Business and school wastes, explosives, household batteries, ammunition, tires, and asbestos are not accepted.
Residents should bring only accepted materials on the appropriate day. For example, paint and household chemicals cannot be accepted on an electronics collection day.
For more information, call MMWA at (989) 781-9555 or visit www.recyclemotion.org.