The Erie County Department of Environment and Planning (“ECDEP”) is planning household hazardous waste collection events for the 2020 season and is encouraging residents to sign up for email notifications of these events and other related collections. The first two collections will be held on May 30 (Southtowns) and June 27 (Northtowns).  More details and additional dates will be available soon at www.Erie.gov/recycling .

A new reservation system was implemented in 2019 to reduce wait times and limit congestion at the five collection events held countywide and was met with a very positive response from nearly 1,900 residents who took advantage of the new process to easily and conveniently dispose of hazardous household wastes. DEP now reaches out to a list of over 3,000 interested residents who receive e-mails about upcoming hazardous waste events as well as other related collections.

“Our new system of offering additional household hazardous waste collection opportunities at a variety of locations was very well-received as it was easier for residents to plan on attending an event closer to their home, at a time and place that fit their schedule,” said Thomas R. Hersey, Jr., Commissioner of Environment and Planning. “We also received positive feedback from residents who joined our email list and were notified of collection events, giving them all the information they needed to bring acceptable items for disposal as well as what to expect at the event itself. The new system streamlines the process, makes registration easy, greatly cuts down on wait times, eliminates instances of residents bringing items that won’t be accepted, and makes better outcomes for all.”

At the five HHW collection events held in 2019 over 300 one-pound cylinder propane tanks were collected along with 135 pounds of mercury, 9,700 gallons of oil-based paints, 10,000 pounds of solid pesticides, 2,200 gallons of liquid pesticides, 550 fire extinguishers and hundreds of gallons of other hazardous solids and liquids including acids, oxidizers, antifreeze and motor oil.

Additional support for these events is provided by the Northeast Southtowns and Northwest Solid Waste Management Boards, the City of Buffalo, SUNY ERIE and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.                                                                                        

To stay updated and/or to sign up for e-mails about upcoming events, go to www.erie.gov/recycling , or call (716) 858-6800.

For more information:

On the Department of Environment and Planning, visit http://www2.erie.gov/environment/   

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