The event offers the opportunity to dispose of everything from automotive fluids and auto batteries to cleaning fluids and cooking oil. Other HHW items accepted include lithium and button batteries (alkaline batteries are not flammable and can go in the trash), fluorescent lamps and bulbs, paint products and solvents, pesticides and more (tucsonaz.gov/es/hhw-list).
“Household chemicals can be harmful to the environment and often people don’t know what to do with them, so they keep them in their garages where they can be flammable or pets or children can get into them. If they have no further use for them, this is a great opportunity to dispose of them properly,” said Cristina Polsgrove, public information officer for the City of Tucson.
Polsgrove said that many people appreciate the opportunity to dispose of old paint and she offered a reminder that latex paint is water-based, so small amounts can safely be thrown in the trash (just let it dry out or add a small amount of sand to minimize mess).