Household Hazardous Waste collection set for Saturday, April 2
March 25, 2022 | By John Malter 
The Household Hazardous Waste collections at Harwood Union High School take in tons of cleaners, chemicals, pesticides, paint and more. File photo by Lisa Scagliotti
The Mad River Resource Management Alliance, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and Casella Resource Solutions are sponsoring a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, April 2, at Harwood Union High School.
The collection will begin with businesses from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Residential drop-offs will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This event is free for residents of Fayston, Moretown, Waitsfield, Warren and Waterbury. There is a $20 fee for those from outside the alliance's area. (Duxbury is not a member of the alliance.)
Please note that there are significant changes for this year's Household Hazardous Waste Collection.
All small businesses must pre-register with their disposal inventory and volume no later than March 31. Business waste will only be accepted between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Please register by emailing malterport@aol.com and we will determine the cost of your disposal. Payment will be due at the time of the collection.
What will be collected
Oil and latex paints are accepted at the collection for either disposal or a drop/swap. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
Bring your household pesticides, all your architectural paint (oil based and latex), primary batteries and up to 10 additional gallons of household hazardous chemicals at no charge. There is a $5 fee per gallon for liquid or $5 per pound for solid hazardous chemicals over the amount described above.
Both single-use batteries(primary) and Ni-Cd and small sealed lead rechargeable batteries can be recycled as a result of Vermont’s product stewardship laws. The single-use batteries include non-rechargeable alkaline, carbon-zinc dry cell and lithium metal batteries. Waterbury True Value Hardware Store, Aubuchon’s Hardware, in Waterbury and Bisbee’s Hardware, Kenyon’s and the Earthwise Transfer Station in Waitsfield collect primary and rechargeable batteries from cell phones, power tools and other electronic equipment at no charge. We can also take these various batteries during the household hazardous waste collection. Vermont leads the country in per capita collection of batteries by weight.
Mercury added products such as thermometers, mercury thermostats, switches, medical and scientific instruments and mercury batteries will be accepted. We will swap mercury fever thermometers for a digital thermometer, one digital per family.
The Thermostat Recycling Corporation has developed a system that will provide a coupon that must be filled out by the person who brings their mercury thermostat to the Household Hazardous Waste Collection event. The cover of the thermostat must be included with the product. You will get a receipt and a mail back coupon to redeem for $5 after the recycling company receives the thermostat and the coupon.
Those participating are asked to place all items in their vehicle trunk or pickup truck bed.
What cannot be collected
The collection will not accept Compact Fluorescent Lamps and fluorescent light tubes at this event. You can bring your CFLs and tubes to Kenyon’s True Value Hardware or Bisbee’s Ace Hardware in Waitsfield, or Aubuchon Hardware or Waterbury True Value Hardware in Waterbury.
Other wastes that cannot be accepted include: radioactive wastes such as some smoke detectors (return them to the retailer or manufacturer); propane tanks and other compressed gasses should be returned to the retailer; infectious wastes (contact your doctor’s office or hospital for safe disposal); prescription drugs (participate in a DEA Drug Take Back program); and explosives such as ammunition and flares (contact the state police for instructions in proper handling and disposal).
A second Household Hazardous Waste Collection this year will be held at Harwood on August 20.
John Malter is the administrator for the Mad River Resource Management Alliance. Contact him for more information at 802-244-7373 or malterport@aol.com.