Residents of Cheatham and Houston counties in Tennessee have an opportunity to clear their homes of hazardous waste in an environmentally responsible fashion this coming weekend. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is bringing its mobile household hazardous waste collection service to the region on Saturday, October 11. According to TDEC, this event offers a no-cost opportunity for the public to safely dispose of a variety of hazardous materials, no county residency required.
Items suitable for drop-off include common household pollutants such as cleaning fluids, pesticides, and swimming pool chemicals. TDEC Commissioner David Salyers emphasized the importance of the event, stating, "This collection service provides an excellent way to responsibly dispose of household hazardous waste, and we want to make it as convenient as possible." With a history tracing back to 1993, the program has seen over 25 million pounds of waste properly processed at more than 1,500 collection events across Tennessee, as noted by TDEC.
Two locations will serve as drop-off points this Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon. Cheatham County residents can head to Sycamore Square at 354 Frey St., Ashland City, while those closer to Houston County have the Houston County Convenience Center at 1136 Firetower Rd., Erin at their disposal. For additional details or questions, Cheatham County's contact is Mike Russell, who can be reached at (615) 792-2059, and Houston County's go-to is Keith Greer, available at (931) 539-9429.
Some materials are not accepted, such as ammunition, explosives, and alkaline batteries suggesting that not every hazardous item under your sink is fit for drop-off. The TDEC advises packing the materials carefully to avoid spills and recommends keeping them out of reach of children and pets during transport. For residents that have Very Small Quantity Generator Waste, such as from businesses or schools, an appointment is necessary along with a fee for disposal – call (615) 643-3170 for a quote and scheduling. Local authorities also provide collection sites for batteries, oil, paint, antifreeze, and electronic scrap, known colloquially as BOPAE, so residents are encouraged to reach out to city or county solid waste departments for more information.
