Got some hazardous materials lying around the house? On Oct. 11 and 12, the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department will host collection events in New Cuyama and Santa Ynez for household hazardous waste, such as paint, motor oil, batteries, pesticides, cleaning supplies, and old electronic devices.
The Cuyama event will take place on Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the New Cuyama Recycling and Transfer Station at 5073 Highway 166. The Santa Ynez event will take place on Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Santa Ynez Valley Recycling and Transfer Station at 4004 Foxen Canyon Road in Los Olivos. The disposal will be free of charge for residents.
According to a press release from the county, some unwanted medications and home-generated “sharps”—think needles and syringes—will also be collected at the events. The sharps must be delivered in rigid, puncture-proof containers. Free sharps containers are available at the Santa Ynez Valley Transfer Station during normal operating hours: Tuesday through Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Controlled substances, including narcotics and some prescription medications, will not be accepted.
In addition to these materials, the Santa Ynez facility accepts electronic waste—as well as unwanted CDs, DVDs, and video and cassette tapes–—during normal operating hours. Antifreeze, auto batteries, used oil, oil filters, and latex paint are also collected every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
In addition to the county’s programs, some local cities offer their own hazardous home waste collection programs. For more information on these programs, visit the county’s recycling website at www.lessismore.org.
This article appears in Oct 9-16, 2008.