Nearly 800 cars show up to recycle hazmats
Middlesex County's next county household waste day is Nov. 19 in Edison
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

MIGUEL JUAREZ staff A drum container filled with old batteries waits to be sealed as workers separate solids from liquids during the Middlesex County Household Waste Day in North Brunswick on Saturday.

NORTH BRUNSWICK - It is never a waste of a day when you are helping the environment.

Middlesex County held a Household Waste Day on Saturday to collect hazardous materials that should not be disposed of in ordinary trash pickups. At the collection site on Apple Orchard Road, off Route 130, 792 cars came to drop off paint-related items, flammable liquids such as gasoline and kerosene, fertilizers, propane tanks, used motor oil, antifreeze, thermometers, batteries, aerosol cans, fluorescent bulbs and photo chemicals.

"It was a good turnout. It was probably busier than normal at that site," said Fred Stanger, the principal planner for the Middlesex County Division of Solid Waste Management.

The program began in the late 1980s and has grown to include seven collection dates at five sites throughout the county, including areas in Sayreville, Woodbridge, Old Bridge and Edison. Although there are usually some unusual items brought in that require more attention because of a danger factor, the North Brunswick collection ran smoothly.

"Some things can be difficult to manage ... because they are more dangerous. People don't realize what they have or how dangerous something is. If they're involved with a science lab or are a science teacher, they have unused waste around the home; they pass away, and the widow goes into the basement and brings in [the chemicals]. It could get a little tricky," Stanger said.

The county hires a contractor to receive the waste, separate it into categories, and transport and dispose of it. Stanger said it is integral that residents do not manage hazardous materials themselves but bring them to a collection site to be properly disposed of to avoid potential danger.

"We want to try to keep waste out of the regular waste drain, which in this case is the county landfill," he said. "It does pose a potential harm to garbage collection crews if a chemical is disposed with the regular solid waste stream and the mixture of two chemicals causes a reaction.

"Having the material stored in a house, garage or basement could pose a potential threat as well if something is not used and is accumulating. You certainly would not want children or pets around it, [and you] wouldn't want anything to happen while it's sitting there," he said.

The next county collection day is scheduled for Nov. 19 at Middlesex County College in Edison from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.njhazwaste.com/midhome.