Hazardous Waste Day is a free event that allows locals to drop off items like paint and motor oil to keep toxic chemicals and heavy metals out of landfills.
Recycle Utah and Park City Sunrise Rotary host the disposal day twice each year. Recycle Utah and community partners, like the Bicycle Collective and Spring Back Utah, handle the waste, while Sunrise Rotary volunteers organize and facilitate the event. Over 40 Rotarians were there Saturday, directing cars and collecting the waste.
Ken Jaworski has lived in Park City for over 20 years and taken advantage of Hazardous Waste Day’s services at least 15 of those 20 years. He dropped off motor oil, batteries and light bulbs.
“I hope they never stop this, because this is something very important,” Jaworski said.
Summit County’s Solid Waste Superintendent Tim Loveday was busily collecting oil and fluorescent light bulbs. He said diverting hazardous waste is critical to protecting the area’s groundwater.
“Once these chemicals get loose in the environment, they'll ultimately infiltrate the ground until they hit groundwater, and that groundwater ultimately discharges down toward Rockport reservoir through base flow,” Loveday said. “So these chemicals can spread really fast, they’re persistent.”
Many of the chemicals are carcinogens that cause cancer.
Recycle Utah says it will know how many pounds of waste was collected in the next few days.
Locals who didn’t get a chance to dispose of hazardous waste Saturday can take those materials to the Summit County Landfill.
Recycle Utah is a financial supporter of KPCW.
