City reschedules Household Hazardous Waste Day

The city of Hoover has rescheduled the Household Hazardous Waste Day that originally was supposed to be May 2 for Aug. 1. The location also has changed from original plans and will be held in the parking lot at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium again from 8 a.m. to noon.

City officials had planned to move the waste collection to the parking lot at Hoover High School due to busy spring scheduling at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, but that original collection date was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. There was not as much of a scheduling conflict with the Aug. 1 date.

City officials also had planned to hold two days to collect household hazardous waste this year, but the time delay and budget constraints now mean there will be only one, said Robin Mangino, the administrative services supervisor for the Hoover Public Works and Park Maintenance Department.

The Household Hazardous Waste Day gives Hoover residents a chance to properly dispose of items that shouldn’t go in the garbage or landfill.

Examples of items accepted include leftover wet paint, automotive fluids, household cleaners, pesticides, batteries, standard-size tires, electronics, medication, guns and ammunition.

Hoover residents can bring their hazardous items to the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium parking lot between 8 a.m.and noon, but they must be prepared to show a valid driver’s license or photo ID with a Hoover address because the event is open only to Hoover residents. Items will not be accepted from businesses.

City records show that in 2019, people in 1,550 vehicles brought items for disposal.

That included enough paint and paint-related materials to fill 112 3-yard boxes and 25 pallets. Workers also collected 55 55-gallon drums of pesticides, seven 55-gallon drums of flammable liquids and solids, two 55-gallon drums of antifreeze, four 55-gallon drums and five 5-gallon containers of household batteries and 40 55-gallon drums of other hazardous materials.

Residents also brought 757 gallons of used motor oil, 250 gallons of used cooking oil, 235 tires, 217 car batteries, seven boxes of aerosols, 41 fire extinguishers, 400 1-pound propane tanks, 32 20-pound propane tanks, 1,240 compact bulbs and 2,120 fluorescent bulbs, records show.

Hoover police also took in 766 pounds of expired or unused medication and some old ammunition at the event, Lt. Keith Czeskleba said. They’ll collect unwanted medication again this year, as well as firearms, ammunition, edged weapons and military ordnance and souvenirs.

The Foundry Rescue and Recovery Center will be back again also, collecting equipment such as TV sets, computer hard drives, keyboards, monitors, computer mice, radios, stereos, telephones, power cables and wiring.

City officials also encourage people to bring old, tattered or damaged U.S. flags for proper disposal. And for the first time, Shred-It will have a truck there to shred people’s paper documents.

The city pays MXI Environmental Services to dispose of most of the items collected. Records indicate last year’s cost was about $63,000.