Dispose Of Hazardous Household Waste At Weekend Eco-Depot

PROVIDENCE, RI — Not sure what to do with your household hazardous waste after this year's spring cleaning? Next Saturday, Rhode Island Resource Recovery will be holding an Eco-Depot in Providence, where all state residents can bring paint, used motor oil, fluorescent light bulbs and more.

The collection event will be held at the Providence Department of Public Works, located at 700 Allens Ave. from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. To help reduce wait times, residents are encouraged to make appointments in advance.

The Eco-Depot is open to all Rhode Islanders, not just Providence residents, and is free of charge. Since 2001, the RIRRC has held Eco-Depots to properly collect, package, store and dispose of household hazardous waste. Since the program's launch, the department has collected around 13.1 million pounds of household hazardous waste from more than 175,000 Rhode Island residents.

Many common household items are considered hazardous and should not be thrown away in regular trash or recycled, including anything marked with a skull and crossbones or words like "toxic," "flammable," "poison" or "combustible." Some common items are listed below.

• Oil-based paints
• Fluorescent light bulbs, both long tubes and smaller, "curly" bulbs
• Gasoline
• Disinfectants
• Used motor oil (less than 10 gallons) and filters
• Propane tanks
• Anti-Freeze (Less than 10 Gallons)
• Batteries (Rechargeable & Long-lasting)
• Sharps and needles

Make an appointment or see the full Eco-Depot schedule on RIRRC's website or call 401-942-1430 extension 241.