Try this for disposing of toxic trash

Several sites will accept potentially hazardous waste such as chemicals, oil and paint.

By CHRISTINA K. COSDON, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 1, 2002

Stop! Don't throw that can of hair spray in the garbage can. It could explode and ignite the inside of a garbage truck. That goes for those old chlorine and gasoline containers as well.

Discarded computers also can cause problems if they are casually tossed away.

"Sitting on your desktop, computers aren't a problem," explains Deb Bush, operations manager of the county's Department of Solid Waste Operations. "It's when they become waste. "Metal is used to solder the circuit boards," Ms. Bush said. "Then there are little mercury switches and internal batteries. All the circuitry contain metals and the monitors have lead shielding in them. If you throw away the circuit boards and monitors and they are broken, then you have the problem of the metals leaching into the waste system."

Garbage trucks can become incinerators when they contain flammable chemicals or aerosol cans. Several months ago, an explosion heard blocks away ripped the inside of a garbage truck in Dunedin. A worker was knocked off the back of the truck. And the garbage had to be dumped in the street so it could be extinguished.

So where do you dispose of these and other potentially dangerous items such as batteries, old televisions, microwave ovens and fluorescent bulbs?

You can try the county's Household Chemical Collection Center at 2990 110th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, or watch for special mobile collection days sponsored by municipalities and the Pinellas County Utilities Department of Solid Waste Operations. Dunedin is collecting Saturday at the city's Solid Waste Yard at 1070 Virginia Ave. Household chemicals and electronic equipment can be brought to the yard from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Acceptable items include oil-based and latex paint, flammable liquids, aerosol containers, mercury/poisons, fluorescent bulbs, computers and computer monitors, stereos and radios, telephones, gasoline, fuel oil and motor oil, paint thinners and solvents, batteries and tires, antifreeze, televisions and VCRs, camcorders, microwaves and other electronics. Keep products in original, labeled containers. Do not bring open or unlabeled containers.

Many of the collected items can be recycled.

Fluorescent bulbs, for example. The glass and end caps are recycled, said Ms. Bush, and the mercury vapor is reclaimed. The county contracts with companies that recycle electronics and chemicals, she said.

"It's amazing what can be recycled if it's handled properly," Ms. Bush said. "And it's amazing how much damage you can do by just throwing something away. You have to take responsibility at the source, that's why we have these collection programs for the generators -- the homeowners."

The American Association of Poison Control Centers recently reported that "Close to 90 percent of the 2.1-million toxic exposures reported last year happened in or around someone's home."

Collection schedule

Here is the upcoming north Pinellas County collection schedule. For information about hours, call the municipality or the county's solid waste department at 464-7565.

Feb. 23: Palm Harbor University, 1900 Omaha St.

March 16: Clearwater Home Depot parking lot, 2495 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd.

April 27: Tarpon Springs Boys and Girls Club, 111 W Lime St.

May 4: Oldsmar Municipal Services Center, 300 Commerce Blvd.

May 11: Largo Home Depot parking lot, 10475 Ulmerton Road.

Sept. 7: Palm Harbor Home Depot parking lot, 30144 U.S. 19 N.

Oct. 12: Safety Harbor Public Works complex, 1200 Railroad Ave.

Oct. 26: Largo Solid Waste, 1551 Starkey Road.

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