CALL 515-239-5137 TO MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT FOR A WEDNESDAY

AFTERNOON OR SATURDAY MORNING DROP-OFF OF HOUSEHOLD

HAZARDOUS WASTE AT 110 CENTER AVENUE, WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING

 

***No appointment is needed for the following materials:

sharps, light bulbs, antifreeze, waste oil, smoke and fire

and carbon monoxide alarms and propane canisters.

Take these items to

410 E 2nd St. and the tipping floor attendant will help you.

 

NEW SHARPS DISPOSAL PROCEDURE IMPLEMENTED

Residents can dispose of sharps AND light bulbs from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Sharps may be made of glass, metal, or even plastic with rigid corners. A new 65-gallon sharps disposal container has been placed on site. The locked container provides residents a free alternative for disposing of a sharp edge or point used medically to slice, scrape, or pierce the skin. The new policy and disposal container will help residents keep medical waste out of the trash and Resource Recovery Plant workers safe. Sharps are objects or devices that have been used in labs, medical, or patient care.

Sharps include:

• Acupuncture Needles
• Blood Vials
• Broken Glass or Capillary Tubes
• Culture Dishes and Slides
• Exposed Ends of Dental Wires
•  Lancets, Needles, Hypodermic and Tubing
•  Pipettes
• Root Canal Files
• Scalpel Blades
• Suture Needles
• Syringes with and without Needles
• Trauma Scene Waste that can Cut, Slice or Pierce

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The new "sharps only" container is located on the tipping floor of the Resource Recovery Plant and can be accessed only during business hours.  Residents can deposit their sharps either by using an official red sharps container or placing sharps in a liquid laundry detergent bottle with the lid taped on and labeled "Sharps".

Residents can dispose of sharps AND light bulbs from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Because the sharps container is locked, sharps may not be left unattended; customers should talk to a Resource Recovery Plant employee. When sharps and used needles are not disposed of properly, they can spread infection and cause serious health problems.

Why do we need an HHM Satellite Site?

Many home and garden products contain potentially dangerous chemicals that are poisonous to people, fish, wildlife, and plants.  Some of these products may be immediately fatal; others may build up in body tissue or the environment, causing future health problems.

Improper disposal of toxic chemicals threatens our groundwater, the major source of our drinking water.  The cost of sewage treatment can increase dramatically if toxic chemicals are in high concentrations in the waste stream.  It is also a potential danger to our staff when they are working with the waste.  You can make a difference:  do your part - it's simple and easy!

The Resource Recovery Plant partners with Metro Waste Authority in Des Moines' Metro Hazardous Waste Drop-Off to help reduce the amount of household hazardous materials disposed of improperly.  We can now accept waste from residents of Story County at our facility. 

All drop-offs are by appointment only on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings throughout the year.  You must call for an appointment prior to bringing materials to the plant.

Following is a list of items the Resource Recovery Plant WILL ACCEPT through this program:

• Garage & Workshop -- acids/bases, acetone, aerosol cans, antifreeze, auto polish, auto starter fluid, varnish, brake fluid, car wax, carburetor cleaner caulk (labeled flammable), contact cement, driveway sealer, epoxy, gasoline and kerosene, glues, lighter fluid, paint (oil- and lead-based), paint remover, paint thinner, petroleum-based adhesives, roofing tar, shellac, stain, windshield washer solution.
• Home & Garden -- aerosol cans, rechargeable batteries, rust removers, button batteries, fungicide, furniture polish, insect spray, solvent-based metal polish, wallpaper remover, concrete cleaners and etchers, mothballs, pesticides, pool chemicals, rat/mouse and gopher poison, brush killer, spot remover, weed killer, fertilizers.
• Kitchen & Bathroom -- solvent-based cleaners, drain cleaners, ammonia-based cleaners, floor care products, oven cleaner, polish remover.
• Sharps --All sharps accepted must be in either a red sharps plastic container or a hard plastic detergent bottle. The detergent bottle must have the cap screwed on and it must be taped down as well. We can no longer accept sharps collected in pop bottles, milk jugs, coffee cans, or any other non-detergent bottle. Not only is this a safety issue for us all, but it is also required by the DOT for transportation.

UNACCEPTABLE materials include:

• Latex Paint (if you dry it out in the can, it becomes regular garbage; see What Can I Do With Old Paint?)
• Used Motor Oil/Oil Filters (we accept this during normal operations on the tipping floor)
• Lead Acid Batteries (we accept these at no charge on the tipping floor during normal operations)
• Ammunition/Explosives (please take these to your local police/sheriff department)
• Asbestos (can be taken to the Boone County Landfill; call them at 515-433-0591 for authorization and delivery instructions)
• Radioactive Materials
• Fire Extinguishers (we will accept these during normal operations on the tipping floor)
• Non-Hazardous Waste (we will accept this during normal operations on the tipping floor)

Any questions regarding whether or not a product you've got is hazardous, please call us at 515-239-5137 from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.

Businesses and farms may call the Metro Hazardous Waste Drop-Off in Bondurant at 888-603-2739, click here to go the Metro Hazardous Drop-Off website, or call Resource Recovery at 515-239-5137.

What you can do to prevent or manage hazardous waste in your home:

• Recycle
• Reduction at the source.  Choose safer alternatives whenever possible.
• Don't buy more chemicals than you will use in one season.
• Read labels and follow instructions for use and disposal.
• Store paint properly. Keep in a dry area and place lid on tightly to keep air out. Properly handled, oil-based paint has a shelf life of almost 15 years.
• Share usable leftovers with others.
• Buy the largest size of cleaning products you can realistically use up.  Concentrated products and refillable containers create the least waste.
• Buy only enough pesticide to carry you through the season.
• Safely store unused products in original containers and away from pets and children.
• Properly dispose of hazardous materials.

Metro Hazardous Waste Drop-Off in Bondurant provides a facility in which residents and businesses can pick up household materials absolutely free of charge.  The Swap Shop contains usable household cleaners, paints, etc. brought in by the public for others to use.  You do not need to bring in an item in order to pick up an item; however, you should only take what you need and know you will use.  Metro Waste Authority staff does reserve the right to limit quantities.  For more information, call the Metro Hazardous Waste Drop-Off staff at 888-603-2739.