Household hazardous waste collection season starts Feb. 29 with Auburn visit of Wastemobile

KingCounty's popular program enters 19th year of safeguarding environment

King County residents can safely dispose of car batteries, oil and other household hazardous items when the King County Wastemobile kicks off its 19th year with a visit to the Auburn Super Mall, Feb. 29-Mar. 2.

The Wastemobile is operated by King County as part of the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program. King County residents can drop off hazardous household waste items, including pesticides, chlorine bleach, oil-based paints, automotive products (oil, antifreeze, auto batteries, etc.), fluorescent bulbs/ballasts and other items free of charge.

By properly disposing of these materials and keeping them out of drains and landfills, King County residents are helping safeguard the environment.

One item that will no longer be accepted during household hazardous waste collection events is latex paint. Research has shown that dried or solidified latex paint can be safely disposed through the regular solid waste process.

The Wastemobile will be located in south parking lot of the Auburn Supermall at 1101 SuperMall Way off 15th Street Southwest.

The next Wastemobile event is scheduled for March 7-9 at Normandy Park in Des Moines, and additional visits to south King County are scheduled for later in the spring in Federal Way and Kent.

"The intent of the program is to ensure safe, proper disposal of hazardous products people have in their homes," said Julie Mitchell of King County's Solid Waste Division.

Created in 1989, the Wastemobile was the first program of its kind in the nation. The program has collected more than 13,770 tons of household hazardous waste from more than 300,000 customers.

"Our goal is to make disposal of these hazardous materials easy so that they won't end up in the normal household trash," Thompson said. "The high number of residents that come out to these events lets us know that we are providing an important and convenient service."

For more information, including acceptable materials and quantity limits, call the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program's Hazards Line at 206-296-4692, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., except holidays. Recorded information is available after hours. Information is also available on the Wastemobile Web Site at www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/wastemobile/index.html.