In February 2023, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GC&B) and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources (DWR) hosted the first Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day of the year. As a result, over the course of just four hours, the two organizations and the 50 volunteers they had engaged served 949 Gwinnett County neighbors. They collected 50.76 tons of household hazardous waste for recycling or proper disposal – that’s roughly the weight of an adult humpback whale. On Saturday, July 22, GC&B and DWR will team up again for the second installment of this biannual event. Predicting an even bigger response from Gwinnett County neighbors due to warmer temperatures, the two organizations have issued a call for volunteers ahead of the event, to be hosted at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

“As is the case with most of our events, volunteers are vital to the success of our July Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director for Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “We’re expecting well over a thousand cars to move through the Fairgrounds lot during a three-hour period, so we need the help of volunteers to direct traffic, keep cars moving from one station to the next, haul items from attendees’ vehicles, break down boxes, and get their neighbors back on the road to enjoy the rest of what we hope will be a beautiful summer day. Not only will we be helping Gwinnett County residents rid their homes of Household Hazardous Waste – like pesticides, weed killers, and expired fire extinguishers – but we’ll also be diverting those items from our local landfills, where they could potentially seep into our groundwater and flow downstream. When you consider that, our volunteers are heroes… they’re saving the planet, one household at a time!”

To sign on as a volunteer for this and future events, Marlatt encourages interested individuals and groups to visit Volunteer Gwinnett. As for participants at the event, attendees are permitted to bring up to five containers of household waste. Containers must be the size of a copy paper box or laundry basket, and – since they cannot be returned once removed from the car – disposable containers are recommended. Acceptable items for collection include:

Aerosol/spray pesticides

Automotive products (engine degreaser, brake fluid, transmission fluid, antifreeze, etc.)

Cleaners, corrosives, spot removers, acids, and bases

Aerosol/spray paint

Auto batteries

Batteries (household and rechargeable)

Chlorinated solvents

Cooking oil and grease

Fire extinguishers

Flammables (lighter fluid and waste fuels (kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel, etc.)

Fluorescent bulbs and ballasts

Insecticides

Latex and water-based paints

Lawn care products

Mercury

Mercury salts and elemental mercury thermometers

Oil-based paint and stains

Oxidizers

Pesticides

Poisons

Propane cylinders

Solvents and varnishes

Thermostats and other mercury-containing items

Thinners and paint strippers

Weed killer

Wood preservatives

Items like tires, electronics, and paper for shredding will not be accepted at this event. Gwinnett County neighbors can either visit the recycling page at GwinnettCB.org to find locations that accept those items for recycling or hold onto them until the annual America Recycles Day event at Coolray Field on Saturday, November 4, 2023. Other items that will NOT be collected during the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day include Ammunition, Radioactive Waste, Pharmaceuticals, and Biomedical/biohazard waste. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds is located at 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy in Lawrenceville, and volunteers are asked to report at 7 a.m. on the event day. A second event will be taking place at the Fairgrounds that same day beginning at 11 a.m., so traffic volumes may be greater than usual. Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful asks for the public’s patience that morning. Questions about July’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day can be directed to Program Coordinator Kim Davis at 770.822.5187 or [email protected].