Household hazardous waste collection set for Oct. 9 at Adams County Highway Department

SPRINGFIELD – The Adams County Highway Department, 101 N. 54th, will be the site of a household hazardous waste collection on Oct. 9.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency provides residents with free collection events to safely dispose of unused or leftover hazardous products commonly found in homes. All Illinois EPA HHW collections are contactless for the safety of participants. Collection events are funded through the Illinois EPA’s Solid Waste Fund.

“Our Household Hazardous Waste collection events continue to be well attended by residents throughout Illinois and provide the public with no-cost collections of chemicals and other household wastes that often accumulate in our homes,” Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim said. 

The Illinois EPA coordinates with local municipalities each year to conduct these one-day collections. The first of these collections began in November 1989. More than 406,085 households since have participated in 458 events, with more than 79,640 drums of material collected.

One-day collections are open to all Illinois residents and operate from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the day of the event. Residents participating in these events are encouraged to bring chemical cleaners, oil-based paints, thinners, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, kerosene, weed killers, insecticides and pesticides, old or outdated medication and similar hazardous household products. Fluorescent and other high-intensity discharge lamps also may be brought to the collections. 

Latex paint, explosives, propane tanks, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, agricultural chemicals and business wastes will not be accepted.