By: Claire Tribble
It’s May, so you know what that means…it’s time for the Household Hazardous Waste Collection! Because of the Limestone County Commission, we are once again able to host the annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection. Not only do they help to fund the event, but they also come out and work with us. If you’ve ever been, you know how hard we all work! We are excited to have this partnership because this event is the ONLY opportunity to dispose of most hazardous materials in Athens. This year, the collection will be on May 11 from 8 a.m.-noon in the parking lot of Athens Middle School. As always, this will be a drive-thru event, just drive up and we’ll take care of the rest!
There will be some changes this year to what we are accepting. The biggest change is we WILL NOT accept motor oil. This is because the Limestone County Recycling Department accepts motor oil now! They have a large white tank on the lot that you can either leave your containers near or pour your oil into. If you chose to pour your oil, please make sure that you put the lid back on the tank and on your containers. You can always leave your containers there to be emptied and recycled! The Limestone County Recycling Department is located at 1301 North Jefferson Street. They are open Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Another change this year – we will only be accepting tube televisions (the old ones with the large backs). This is the only time that you can dispose of this type of TV in Athens! These televisions contain mercury, so they must be handled with caution! The transfer station will not accept them, and they will not be picked up with bulk trash! We will not be accepting flat screens or plasma televisions or other electronics this year because they can be recycled in Athens now! You can call Keri with Limestone County Recycling (256-871-0674) to find out more details. This is the only way to dispose of these televisions in Athens as well.
The only other thing that we accepted last year but we will not this year is mercury. We will be accepting paint, paint products, lawn chemicals, pool chemicals, household chemicals, and automotive chemicals (transmission fluids, brake fluids, DEF, etc., just no motor oil). We will have the bulb cruncher there for fluorescent bulbs, we will accept medications, pesticides, and propane tanks. We just ask that no commercial load be brought to this event. And as always, NO medical waste!
If you have any questions about what will or will not be accepted, please call Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful at 256-233-8000, or email us at KALBCares@gmail.com. We will see you there — hopefully with sunny skies this year!
By: Claire Tribble
Executive Director, Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful
July 19, 2024
