Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) in conjunction with the town of Middletown Department of Public Works will host a special collection of household hazardous waste (HHW), electronic waste (e-waste) and Styrofoam on Saturday, April 16 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Second Beach located at 474 Sachuset Point Road. This special event is available free of charge to Rhode Island residents only. To help reduce time spent in line, appointments should be made in advance.
Created in 2001, the Eco-Depot program is a free service offered by Resource Recovery that provides for the proper handling, packaging, storage, transportation and disposal of household hazardous waste. Since its inception, Resource Recovery has collected approximately 10.6 million pounds of household hazardous waste and served more than 148,000 Rhode Islanders. With numerous collection dates and events held at several municipal locations throughout the state, Rhode Island’s Eco-Depot program is unlike any other household hazardous waste collection in the country. During last year’s Eco-Depot collection in Middletown, residents dropped off close to 7.6 tons of hazardous household waste.
In addition to household hazardous waste, residential electronic waste and Styrofoam will also be accepted at this Eco-Depot collection. Foam must be clean, dry and bagged in clear or translucent bags. Foodservice foam (like coffee cups and food trays) must be bagged separately from all other foam. Only devices covered under Rhode Island’s electronic waste law will be collected at this event. Covered products are computers (monitors, computer towers, laptops and tablets) and televisions. No other electronic items will be accepted during Saturday’s special collection.
“I’m thrilled RIRRC can provide Middletown (and all RI Residents) with the ability to properly dispose of household hazardous waste, bulk Styrofoam and e-waste,” said Will Cronin, Middletown Recycling Coordinator. “As an island community, we are so lucky to have the local Eco-Depot events for residents to responsibly dispose of household hazardous waste and electronic waste and know they won’t end up in the ocean, bay or drinking water.”
Many common household items are actually household hazardous waste materials that should not be collected through Rhode Island’s standard trash and recycling collection services. These materials include: fluorescent light bulbs, gasoline, pesticides, oil-based paints, disinfectants, used motor oil and lawn and pool chemicals. When not properly collected and disposed, these materials can cause harm to the local environment by contaminating Rhode Island’s waterways. For a full list of household hazardous waste materials, please visit www.ecodepotri.org.
This upcoming collection in Middletown is one of 46 Eco-Depot collections RIRRC will provide throughout the state in 2016. To make an appointment for the collection or to view the entire 2016 Eco-Depot schedule, visit www.ecodepotri.org or call 401-942-1430 x241. Rhode Islanders may make an appointment for any Eco-Depot event that fits their schedule.