With the holiday season upon us, make room for friends and family - clear your home of unwanted things and bring them to the next Household Recycling Day event Friday, Nov. 20 from 1-3 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Glen Island Park in Rye. Check the schedule for other HRD, shredder and e-waste events, dates, locations and directions.

In addition to chemicals and other special wastes found in a typical household, residents can continue to bring their personal papers for shredding, plastic bags for recycling and expired medications for disposal. They can also bring barbecue tanks up to 20 pounds; all types of batteries including vehicle, rechargeable and non-rechargeable types; as well as Freon-containing appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators and dehumidifiers. 

Here’s a more comprehensive list of the household wastes that are accepted for safe disposal and recycling at the event:

• Properly labeled household chemicals such as:
   Most automotive fluids – i.e. antifreeze, brake fluid, gasoline
   Flammable liquids – i.e. kerosene, butane, charcoal fluid, turpentine
   Metal, jewelry and furniture polishes and waxes; wood preservatives
   Pesticides, insecticides, herbicides
   Photographic and swimming pool chemicals
• Cell phones
• Car tires – maximum 10 tires accepted per household
• Fluorescent light bulbs
• Fire extinguishers
• BBQ propane tanks (up to 20 pounds)
• All batteries – including vehicle, non-rechargeable and rechargeable, button cell and alkaline batteries
• Mercury containing items – such as thermometers and thermostats
• E-Waste – such as TVs, computer monitors, towers, printers and accessories
• Household appliances – air-conditioners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves
• Personal papers for shredding – limit four file size boxes per household. Learn how to prepare paper for this free bulk shredding service.

Items that are not accepted and should not be delivered to a Household Recycling Day include paint (both oil and latex), motor oil, smoke detectors, and hypodermic needles. These items and many other special wastes can be disposed of without having to wait for a recycling event. For instance, residents can add kitty liter to oil or latex paint, air dry the mixture for a day or two, and once hardened, dispose of the paint with the garbage. 

Also, waste from a business, school or institution will not be accepted; any delivery from them will be turned away.

Get directions to Glen Island Park.  For more information, call the county’s Recycling Help Line at 2-1-1.