Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful and the county water resources department together are set to host an annual recycling event on July 20.
The pair hosted their first Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day of 2024 on Feb. 10, engaging 60 volunteers and 531 participants while reportedly diverting 33.3 tons of waste from local landfills. Given the warmer weather and kids being out of school for the summer, a bigger turnout is expected for the second Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day of the year, slated for July 20 from 8 to 11 am. Hosted at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, the bi-annual event relies on the participation of dozens of volunteers to help direct traffic, haul items from vehicles to their corresponding stations, break down cardboard boxes, and more, officials said Thursday.
“This event is a great opportunity for our community to come together and make a positive impact,” Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful said. “We need as many volunteers as possible to ensure the success of another Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day. As word spreads about our community recycling events, the line of cars that need to be processed tends to grow. We’d love to move everyone along swiftly and smoothly so they can get about their days after dropping off their household hazardous waste for recycling or proper disposal. It’s a great way to meet our neighbors, and those four hours from sign-in to cleanup go really quickly, so we’re hoping to see some new faces alongside many of our tried-and-true volunteers this summer!”
The last community recycling event Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful hosted, Earth Day at Coolray Field, engaged a historically high number of Gwinnett County residents with a grand total of 1,818 vehicles, according to officials. This month’s event will take place at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds, located at 2405 Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville.
Items that qualify as “household hazardous waste” that can’t be disposed of or recycled curbside and will be accepted at the event 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 that will not be accepted include ammunition, radioactive waste, pharmaceuticals, biomedical/biohazard waste, and anything else not listed above. 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 disposable containers are recommended since they cannot be returned once removed from the car. Attendees are asked to enter the main entrance at the traffic light, not at Davis Road.
Volunteers can register through Volunteer Gwinnett. Marlatt asks that they arrive at the Fairgrounds by 7 am for check-in and placement. She also suggests that they dress appropriately for the warm weather and conditions, wear closed-toe shoes that they do not mind getting dirty and bring sunscreen and a water bottle to protect against the sun and stay hydrated.
