City offers time, place to dispose hazardous waste
It’s that time of year again — when the city of Hoover offers residents a place to carry all their hazardous household items that shouldn’t go in the garbage.
The city’s 19th annual Household Hazardous Waste Day is set for April 22 in the parking lot at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. The event is from 8 a.m. to noon.
Last year, 1,486 Hoover residents brought items to dispose, an increase from 1,081 in 2015, said Robin Mangino, the administrative services supervisor for the Hoover Public Works and Park Maintenance Department.
The items included enough paint and paint-related materials to fill three 30-yard roll off containers, 28 boxes and 19 pallets of 5-gallon pails, city records show. Workers also collected 24 55-gallon drums of pesticides, nine 55-gallon drums of flammable liquids and solids, two 55-gallon drums of antifreeze, five 55-gallon drums and four 50-gallon drums of household batteries, and 50 55-gallon drums of other hazardous materials.
Residents also brought 700 gallons of used motor oil, 200 gallons of used cooking oil, 180 tires, 225 car batteries, 12 boxes of aerosols, 32 fire extinguishers, 870 1-pound propane tanks, 45 20-pound propane tanks, 1,990 compact bulbs and 596 fluorescent bulbs, records indicate.
The Hoover Police Department last year took in 791 pounds of leftover or expired medications, seven boxes of ammunition, one shotgun and three handguns, Lt. Keith Czeskleba said.
Police also will collect fireworks, flares, gunpowder, military ordnance and souvenirs, explosives, reloading supplies and edged weapons.
The Foundry Rescue and Recovery Center is expected to be there again, collecting electronic equipment such as TV sets, printers, computers, keyboards, power cables, radios and telephones. The Foundry will refurbish and resell usable items and recycle the rest.
The city also collected about 100 U.S. flags last year that are received by the American Legion for proper disposal, Mangino said.
Household Hazardous Waste Day is open to Hoover residents only. Materials will not be accepted from people who live outside the city or from businesses. People should bring a valid driver’s license or current photo ID with their address included.
The city once again has hired MXI Environmental Services to dispose of most materials in an environmentally safe way. B&B Tires takes the tires, Mangino said.
Household Hazardous Waste Day
Accepted items
► Aerosol spray cans (with content)
► Automotive fluids (motor oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, gas and/or mixed gas)
► Batteries (automotive and alkaline)
► Caulk/glue
► Drain cleaners/openers
► Fluorescent tubes/light bulbs
► Household cleaners (bleach, oven cleaners, metal cleaners, polishes, toilet cleansers)
► Oil and latex paint, aerosol paint, paint thinners, paint strippers, paint removers (Please note that empty latex paint containers or hardened solid paint are safe to put in the regular garbage. People can bring liquids to a solid by mixing the paint with cat litter, sand or sawdust. Paint lids should be removed before going in the trash bin.)
► Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
► Polish (auto and furniture)
► Wood preservative
► Wallpaper remover
► Grease and rust solvents
► Stains/varnish
► Standard vehicle tires (No commercial or heavy equipment tires will be accepted.)
► Preservatives
► Lighter fluid
► Kerosene
► Moth balls
► Insect repellent
► Waste cooking oil
► Fireworks, pyrotechnics and flares
► Gun powders
► Military ordnances/relics/souvenirs
► Ammunition
► Explosives and explosive materials
► Reloading supplies
► Firearms
► Edged weapons
► Prescription medication
► Non-prescription drugs
► U.S. flags
Items not accepted
► Refrigerators/freezers
► Stoves/microwaves
► Toasters/toaster ovens
► Coffee makers
► Oxygen bottles
► Smoke detectors
► Lawn equipment (weed trimmers and mowers)
► Medical waste (syringes)
► Radioactive material of any kind
► Asbestos
► PCB
► Air conditioners
► Unidentified materials and containers