November 1, 2018 -- On September 29, Westchester County held the first Household Recycling Day (HRD) Event since 2012 – and it was a huge success. Over 1,250 households delivered over 54,000 pounds of household waste, including 30,000 pounds of electronic waste and 700 pounds of medications. Those totals were exceed at the next HRD Event on October 13 at FDR Park in Yorktown, which was attended by 2,556 households delivering over 75,000 pounds of household waste and over 21,000 pounds of documents for shredding.
Westchester County’s Department of Environmental Facilities will be conducting its final HRD Event of the year on Saturday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Playland Park, 1 Playland Pkwy., Rye, NY. This HRD Event will be held in conjunction with the City of Rye’s Zero Waste Day.
In addition to properly labelled household chemicals and other special wastes found in a typical household, residents can bring documents for shredding and expired or unwanted medications for disposal.
Generally, the following items are accepted for safe disposal or recycling:
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Properly labelled household chemicals, such as:
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Household cleaning products
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Most automotive fluids (antifreeze, brake fluid, gasoline but not motor oil)
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Flammable liquids (kerosene, butane, lighter fluid, turpentine)
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Metal, jewelry and furniture polishes and waxes; wood preservatives
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Fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides
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Photographic and swimming pool chemicals
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Batteries – only vehicle, rechargeable or button cell
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Fluorescent light bulbs & CFLs
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Fire extinguishers
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BBQ propane tanks (up to 20 pounds)
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Mercury containing devices (thermometers and thermostats)
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Electronic waste (TVs, computer monitors and towers)
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Expired or unwanted medications, both OTC and prescription
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Personal documents for shredding (limit of four 4 file-size boxes per household)
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Tires
Items that will not be accepted and should not be brought to the Household Recycling Day include paint (both latex and oil), non-rechargeable alkaline and carbon zinc batteries (they can be safely discarded in the trash), motor oil, smoke detectors, cell phones, explosives (flares, fireworks, ammunition), construction debris and hypodermic needles. Also, waste from businesses, schools or other institutions will not be accepted.
As part of Rye’s Zero Waste Day, the following organizations will be on hand to allow residents to donate gently-used furniture, light fixtures, flooring, fencing, hardware, college dorm essentials, towels and sheets, bicycles, tuxedos and prom dresses, as well as new school supplies:
Furniture Sharehouse
The Guidance Center of Westchester
Habitat for Humanity
Humane Society of Westchester
Linking Handlebars
Operation Prom
For more information on what to bring to this event, visit www.westchestergov.com/recycling or call (914)813-5425.
If you can’t make it to any of the HRD Events, you can still dispose of your hard-to-get-rid-of household waste by visiting the County’s Household-Material Recycling Facility (H-MRF), 15 Woods Rd., Valhalla. The H-MRF is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment, and accepts the same items that are accepted at the HRD events. For more information about the H-MRF or to make an appointment, visit http://environment.westchestergov.com/new-h-mrf or call (914)813-5425.