WELLINGTON Shire Council is encouraging residents to safely dispose for free common household and garden chemicals at an event in Sale later this month.
Held in partnership with Sustainability Victoria, the free ‘Detox your Home’ initiative encourages residents to drop-off any unwanted chemicals beginning to stockpile around the house or shed, such as aerosol cans, drain cleaners, fertilisers, fuels, glues, herbicides, paint strippers, pool chemicals and more.
Wellington Shire’s Mayor, Ian Bye, said highly toxic items, such as chemicals, should never be put in rubbish bins, poured down the drain, or left out on the nature strip during hard rubbish collections.
“Household chemicals cannot be accepted at waste facilities due to the risk of fire or explosion, Detox your Home is licensed to accept toxic chemicals and staffed by trained specialists, and is a great way to safely clear out the shed or under the sink,” Cr Bye said.
Toxic chemicals dropped off to the Detox your Home team are immediately sorted by qualified chemists, placed in sealed drums and transported to a specialist waste treatment facility. Every effort is made to recycle chemicals or use them for other purposes.
Once the chemicals are collected, the chemists will recycle or reuse the dropped-off chemicals, with some even used to create energy. Last year’s event in Sale collected 175 items, spanning 16 different materials.
Detox your Home will take place at Gippsland Regional Livestock Exchange, located on Saleyards Road in Sale, between 9am and midday on Saturday, January 28.
Paint is not accepted at Detox your Home events.
To register or for more information, search ‘Sale’ on eventbrite.com.au and select ‘Detox your Home – Sale’.
Detox your Home – Accepted items:
– Cleaning acids and alkalis (including spirit of salt, bleach, vinegar and rust remover, hydrochloric acid, aerosol cans, ammonia-based cleaning agents – like oven, drain, shower and glass cleaners- detergents, disinfectants, floor-care products and waxes);
– Cosmetics, make-up, nail polish and remover;
– Fire extinguishers;
– Fertiliser, herbicides, insect spray, pesticides, pool chemicals (such as liquid pool chlorine and pool salts), weed killers, rat poison;
– Fuel (like petrol, diesel and kerosene), anti-freeze, brake fluid, car body filler, car wax, coolant, transmission fluid;
– Turps, thinners and paint strippers;
– Glues, including water-based and solvents;
– Pharmaceuticals (medicines can also be disposed of safely at your local pharmacy through the Returned Unused Medicines project).
Items that are NOT accepted:
Ammunition, asbestos, batteries (household and car), chemicals used by businesses for industrial and commercial purposes, farm chemicals, fluorescent lights, gas cylinders, medical waste, motor oil, paint and printer cartridges.
Depending on the waste, most of these items can be deposited at transfer stations. Please check Wellington Shire Council’s website for the types of waste accepted.
