Get rid of toxic waste

Have you ever wondered what to do with the waste materials that shouldn’t go to the landfill?

The Cabarrus County Household Hazardous Waste Facility properly disposes of hazardous products to keep them from polluting the ground water and air.

Hazardous waste includes paint, household cleaners (oven, drain, glass, etc), gasoline, lawn chemicals (pesticides and herbicides), electronics and fluorescent bulbs. The material is collected twice a month, the first Wednesday of each month from 8 a.m.-4 p.m., and the third Saturday of each month from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., during the Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off days.

The hazardous material is collected by ECOFLO, a company based in Greensboro that handles the consolidation, transportation and disposal of the materials, in cooperation with Cabarrus County Recycling Technician Gerald Barkley and Sustainability Manager Kevin Grant.

Collections take place at 246 General Services Drive next to the Animal Shelter and can be accessed from N.C. 49 in Concord.

Here’s how it works: after pulling up in your vehicle and filling out a short form, workers help unload items and the transaction is complete.

Kevin Grant, Sustainability Manager for Cabarrus County, said the facility takes in an average of 4,000 pounds of paint and 400 pounds of cleaners per month. The oil paint and flammable liquids are put in barrels that are shipped to cement factories that use the flammable liquids as a clean burning fuel.

Other waste such as batteries, used motor oil, scrap metal, appliances and regular recyclables may be dropped off Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

During the last fiscal year, the facility collected 4,500 gallons of used motor oil and 54 tons of old televisions.

In addition to recycling chemicals for fuel, repurposing or disposal of waste, the facility also runs a Swap Shop for usable paint that is collected. The paint is free and must be picked up during the drop off days or by appointment.

Grant said local students painting their school rocks have found out about the service and have been coming to get their paint there. During the last fiscal year, residents claimed 850 gallons of paint.

The waste totals show the amount of waste that has been kept from going in the landfill – and eventually getting into the ground water or air.

The service is free. The next drop off period is Jan. 19 from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.