Westchester County’s Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) will be conducting a Household Recycling Day (HRD) Event on Saturday, Sept. 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 5th Avenue Parking Lot in Mount Vernon, across from Grace Baptist Church. This HRD event will be the third HRD of 2022, and gives residents across the County an opportunity to conveniently and safely dispose of their household waste.

In 2021, DEF held four HRD events that welcomed over 2,500 County residents and accepted over 160,000 pounds of household waste for disposal. HRD events return in 2022 looking to reach even more residents.

The County will be accepting properly labelled household chemicals, tires, scrap metal, electronics, appliances, special wastes found in a typical household, documents for shredding, and expired or unwanted medications. For the first time ever, the County will also be accepting latex paint and textiles for recycling at the HRD Event.

Generally, the following items are accepted for safe disposal or recycling:

  • Properly labelled household chemicals, such as:
    • Household cleaning products
    • Most automotive fluids (antifreeze, brake fluid, gasoline, but not motor oil)
    • Flammable liquids (kerosene, butane, lighter fluid, turpentine)
    • Metal, jewelry, and furniture polishes and waxes; wood preservatives
    • Fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides
    • Photographic and swimming pool chemicals
  • Batteries – only vehicle, rechargeable/ Lithium Ion, or button cell
  • Textiles- footwear, clothing, linens, leather, small area rugs, and handbags
  • Latex and oil-based Paint, wood stains
  • Fluorescent light bulbs & CFLs
  • Fire extinguishers
  • BBQ propane tanks (up to 20 lbs.)
  • Mercury containing devices (thermometers and thermostats)
  • Electronic waste (TVs, computer monitors and towers)
  • Expired or unwanted medications, both OTC and prescription
  • Personal documents for shredding (limit of four (4) file-size boxes per household)
  • Tires

Items that will not be accepted and should not be brought to Household Recycling Day include 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.

For more information on what to bring to this event, visit the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities Website or call (914) 813-5425.

If you are unable to attend the HRD Event, you can dispose of your hard-to-get-rid-of household waste by making a convenient appointment for the County’s Household-Material Recycling Facility (H-MRF), 15 Woods Road, Valhalla. The H-MRF is open Tuesday through 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 the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities Website or call (914) 813-5425.

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