For many of us, spring is a time when we clean out our basements and garages. The act of spring cleaning is a great way to start anew; however it can also leave us perplexed as to what to do with the leftover fertilizers, pesticides, stains, varnishes and CFLs that we no longer need but know are not safe to throw in the trash.  Through its Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program, the City & County of Denver can help you safely dispose of chemicals and other household hazardous waste that you come across during your spring cleaning.

Residents of the City and County of Denver are eligible once per year for a free collection of household hazardous waste.  Residents may schedule a door-to-door collection at their home or in some unique cases, an appointment to drop off materials at the facility. Materials accepted through the program are: aerosols, automotive fluids (degreasers, oils, etc.), batteries, caulk, grout, cleaners and polishes (drain, oven, carpet, etc.), CFLs and fluorescent tubes, expired medications, fertilizer, garden chemicals, gasoline, fuel, kerosene, glue, hobby supplies, insecticides and poisons (bug spray, weed killers, etc.), lubricants, metal polishes, moth balls, paint, photography chemicals, sealants, stains and varnishes, solvents and thinners (turpentine, etc.), pool chemicals and thermometers.

To schedule a collection appointment, please call 1-800-HHW-PKUP (1-800-449-7587).  Please note that you must have at least three different types of items or 25 pounds of materials to schedule an appointment.  Home collections are limited to the contents of the supplied collection kit bag (approximately 12-gallons of materials based on container size) and drop-off collections are limited to 125 pounds.  Additionally, up to 5 auto batteries and a total of 5 fluorescent bulbs (tubes and CFLs) can be included with a collection.  If you have household hazardous waste in excess of 12 gallons or 125 pounds and are willing to pay for its collection, you should speak to the hotline operator about that when you call to make your appointment.

For more information on the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program call 3-1-1 or visit  DenverGov.org/DenverRecycle

View of Denver City & County Building from State Capitol. Pictures courtesy of www.aviewoncities.com

The City & County of Denver has partnered with Best Buy and Guaranteed Recycling Xperts (GRX) offering Denver residents an easy way to recycle their electronic items such as old televisions, monitors and computer components.

According to Denver Recycles, “Disassembling electronics for recycling is an intensive and costly process. The E-cycle Coupon helps to offset the cost of this process and enables resident to drop-off electronic items for recycling at a significantly discounted rate.  To apply for an E-cycle Coupon visit Denver Recycles online at DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.”

Today’s email from Denver Recycles continues:

Recycling fees with the E-cycle coupon are as follows:

First Item with coupon  Additional items with coupon    Regular Price (without coupon)
Monitors        $5                      $8                                                      $12
TV’s                 $10                   $15                                                     $15 to $40
Others            $2                      $2                                                      $5
(electronics & small appliances)

Old televisions and monitors with Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT’s) contain significant amounts of lead and other heavy metals, which are toxic substances. When televisions or monitors are placed in landfills and break apart, they release lead along with other toxins into our environment and create serious pollution problems.  Additionally, many electronics contain toxic metals and other hazardous materials, it is important that residents not place their electronics in City trash containers or in City alleys, as they can pose a health risk to neighbors and trash collectors handling these items.

Instead of disposing of electronic waste in the trash, these products can be disassembled and the metals inside, plastic shell and glass can all be recycled.  By recycling these materials, we can conserve our natural resources, reduce strip mining land, lower air and water pollution and lessen the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into our atmosphere.

The E-cycle Coupons are for residents living in the City & County of Denver only, and there is a limit of one coupon per home.  Only a limited number of E-cycle Coupons will be available, and coupons will have an expiration date.  Electronic items will need to be brought to GRX’s facility during normal working hours, and residents will need to present the coupon upon arrival.

To apply for an E-cycle Coupon, visit Denver Recycles online at DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.  Denver Recycles is a program of Denver Public Works/Solid Waste Management.

For more information about other Denver Recycles programs call 3-1-1 or visit us online at DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.

Live Green Electronics Recycling Event
March 7, 2009
7:00 a.m. to noon

“Do your part to help the environment by recycling your old television, computer monitor and other used electronic equipment at the “Live Green Electronics Recycling Event” on Saturday, March 7th. This event provides a rare opportunity for residents to responsibly recycle old electronic equipment for FREE, thanks to generous sponsorships from LG Electronics, 9News, Comcast, Waste Management of Colorado, and the City and County of Denver. Electronics recycling is expensive and normal recycling costs average about $25 for a TV and $12 for a computer monitor.

“Responsible recycling of electronics helps to prevent lead and other chemicals from leaching into the groundwater and into our atmosphere. Televisions and computers monitors contain 4 to 8 pounds of lead each, as well as many other metals and toxic materials. Recycling old electronics also saves energy and valuable resources.

“Please note that you do not need to replace your television as a result of the February 17, 2009 switch to digital broadcasting. Only residents using an antenna with their television (either rooftop or “rabbit ears”) will be affected by this change and purchasing a converter box will prevent the need to replace a television. Televisions connected to Comcast cable, satellite or other pay TV services will not be affected. If you choose to replace your TV, take advantage of this one time opportunity to responsibly recycle for free.”

For more information and to find specific drop off locations visit www.9News.com and click on the Live Green section. For more information about recycling, visit www.DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles.