Dear Eartha, Spring cleaning season is here, and I’ve got a garage full of old paint, dead batteries, and chemicals I’m afraid to throw away. What do I do with all this stuff?
It’s really easy to accumulate this type of stuff. Maybe it’s the half-empty can of paint from a bathroom renovation three years ago. Maybe it’s a collection of batteries you kept meaning to recycle, or a shelf of mystery chemicals you inherited from the previous owners and have been too nervous to touch. These things pile up quietly over months and years until one day you look around and realize you’ve been cohabitating with a small hazardous waste facility.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone, and more importantly, you don’t have to figure this out by yourself.
A lot of the stuff lurking in your garage or under the kitchen sink doesn’t belong in your regular trash or recycling bin. Old paint, pesticides, and cleaning chemicals can leach into soil and waterways when improperly disposed of, and medications flushed or thrown away can end up in the same rivers and streams we all love, which is bad news for the mountains and rivers we’re here to enjoy. Even electronics contain toxic materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium that need special handling to keep them out of the landfill. In a place as ecologically sensitive as Summit County, how we handle our waste has real consequences for the environment we cherish.
Luckily, there is a solution. Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 30th, because High Country Conservation Center (HC3) and Summit County Government are teaming up for the Annual Hard to Recycle Event– a free, drive-through event in Frisco at the Summit Stage Bus Barn. No appointments, no fees, no hassle. Just show up, pop your trunk, and let the volunteers do the heavy lifting. It really is that easy.
So, what can you bring?
Accepted items include:
- Household hazardous waste: aerosol cans, chemicals, cleaners, paints, thinners, glues, adhesives, fertilizers, and pesticides
- Electronics: TVs, laptops, cell phones, tablets, computer monitors, printers, keyboards, wires, sound systems, DVD players, and VCRs
- Medications: prescription and over-the-counter, pill form in any packaging (original containers preferred), liquid form in original containers only
- Batteries, mercury thermostats and switches
- Gently used clothing
A few things they can’t take: ammunition, gasoline, antifreeze, motor oil, oil filters, appliances, scrap metal, propane tanks, fluorescent or compact fluorescent lightbulbs, or anything radioactive, explosive, or biologically active. When in doubt, call HC3 at (970) 668-5703 before you load up the car.
Can’t make it on May 30th?
No worries. The Summit County Resource Allocation Park accepts many of these items year-round, free for residents and homeowners. It’s a great backup option for anyone who misses the event or discovers more items to dispose of later in the season. Visit HC3’s website for a full breakdown of what goes where, or give their staff a call. They’re always happy to point you in the right direction.
Your Actions Matter
The bigger picture here is pretty simple: what we do with our waste matters. Summit County’s waterways, wildlife, and overall quality of life depend on all of us making thoughtful choices. In a place this special, proper waste disposal is worth a Saturday morning trip across town. Every can of paint properly disposed of, every bottle of medication dropped off, every old laptop recycled, it all adds up to a healthier community and a cleaner environment for everyone who calls this place home. Small actions, taken collectively, make a real difference. Events like this one make it easier to do your part. And honestly, there’s something deeply satisfying about starting summer with a clean house and a clean conscience.
Ask Eartha Steward is written by the staff at the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation. Submit questions to Eartha at info@highcountryconservation.org.
