Center for Regional Development - Solid Waste

Household Hazardous Waste Programs and Collections

NEWLY OUTFITTED TRAILER TO HELP CAPCOG COMMUNITIES HOLD HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTIONS

Communities interested in holding a household hazardous waste collection event or a recycling effort now can take advantage of the Central Texas Household Hazardous Waste Program funded in part by the Capital Area Planning Council of Governments (CAPCOG) and managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA).

An outfitted trailer filled with equipment and supplies needed to organize the environmentally friendly events is available by reservation with LCRA. Communities can reserve the trailer for one day or longer by putting down a deposit to cover the cost of supplies. Deposit money not used will be refunded. LCRA provides technical assistance for free. Communities pay for disposal of hazardous materials and recycling.

The program is designed to help communities in the 10-county CAPCOG region get started with events to collect and recycle materials or to help expand existing programs. Recycling and household hazardous waste collection events are growing in popularity as the population grows in rural counties and the importance of responsible use and reuse of materials is more widely known and accepted. LCRA sponsors such events in cooperation with local communities in its statutory area along the Colorado River. By making the household hazardous waste equipment and supply trailer available, it expands its environmental stewardship efforts in the region.

The trailer includes such supplies as paint mixers for latex paint recycling, personal protective equipment for volunteers (eyewear, gloves, aprons, body suits, etc.), tools, event signage, barrels for oil and paint collection, work tables, traffic cones, Gaylord boxes, wooden pallets, and more. A recycling event could collect batteries, oil, oil filters, paint, antifreeze and electronic equipment. A chemical waste collection event could accept household hazardous chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides, paint thinners, oven and drain cleaners, floor and furniture polishes, upholstery cleaners and brake and transmission fluids.

The program is also working with Habitat for Humanity to use the reprocessed latex paint for its Re-Store and building projects.

“Demand for household hazardous waste and recycling collections, programs and services has grown beyond what LCRA can serve with its one-day collection events. There are communities wanting to start new collection programs”, said Jack Ranney, program coordinator of LCRA's household hazardous waste program. “This new program and the equipped trailer will help enable a community to collect non-hazardous recyclables, which comprises up to 75 percent of what is typically accepted at household hazardous waste collections. This program will offer communities an affordable option to have more frequent collections for the most commonly generated household waste materials. Providing the equipment and supplies and our experience coordinating collection programs to communities helps LCRA and CAPCOG fulfill their environmental missions.” Reservations to use the equipment and supply trailer are required 90 days in advance. The CAPCOG region covers Llano, Burnet, Blanco, Hays, Williamson, Lee, Travis, Bastrop, Caldwell and Fayette counties. For more information about the program or to reserve the trailer, call Ranney at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 7651, or e-mail him at jack.ranney@lcra.org.

Collection Events - CAPCOG Partnerships

Lower Colorado River Authority and Blanco County

City of Cedar Park

City of Pflugerville

Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3)

From elementary school maintenance closets to high school chemistry labs, schools use a variety of chemicals. When they are mismanaged, these chemicals can put students and school personnel at risk from spills, fires, and other accidental exposures. Chemical accidents disrupt school schedules and can cost thousands of dollars to repair.

The Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign (SC3) aims to ensure that all schools are free from hazards associated with mismanaged chemicals. SC3 gives K-12 schools information and tools to responsibly manage chemicals.

TCEQ's Agricultural Waste Pesticide Collection Program

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in conjunction with The Texas Department of Agriculture and The  Texas Cooperative Extension has scheduled 6 Waste Pesticide Collection Events in March of 2007.

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