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Hazardous Waste
Many materials fall in the category of Hazardous Waste and should not be disposed of with regular household waste. Some of these items, even in small quantities, can pose significant risks to trash truck drivers, and landfill operators. A vast majority of the fires that occur in trash trucks and at landfills can be traced to improperly disposed of hazardous waste.
On this page learn about:
- Batteries and Cell Phones recycling
- Waste Oil disposal
- Household Hazardous Waste Days
- If you miss Household Hazardous Waste Day
- For More Information
Batteries and Cell Phones
The Recycling Coordinator is happy to take the following items from you, year-round. City Hall, Room 34. Weekdays 8:30a to 4:30p.
Some Special Batteries
- Ni-Cd and Other Rechargeable Batteries – cordless phone, laptop computer, power tools, electric tooth brush, beeper, etc.
- Button Batteries – hearing aid, watch, calculator
- Specialty Batteries – lithium camera batteries and other specialty batteries
- Cell phones – the battery, the phone, and all accessories can be recycled, and through a joint effort between the City and Keep Lowell Beautiful, cell phones collected help to raise money for recycling initiatives.
Note: you can also bring the above items to Household Hazardous Waste days
Automobile Batteries
Automobile batteries are collected at Household Hazardous Waste days, and also by many local auto parts stores.
Do not recycle
Alkaline batteries (regular A, AA, AAA, C, D, 9volt) are not hazardous and should be disposed of at home with your regular trash.
Waste Oil
Waste oil is very damaging to our waterways and ground water when not disposed of property. You have several disposal options:
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Retail stores which sell motor oil are required to take back used motor oil if you have a receipt. The law provides for a limit of 2 gallons per person per day. You can call the Used Oil Hotline with questions or to report aretailers who are unwilling to accept used oil from customers who have a receipt -- (617) 556-1022.
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Waste Oil Collection, monthly April through November, at Duck Island
| When: |
The LAST Saturday of each month** Saturday Aug 28, Sept 25, Oct 30 From 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon |
| Where: |
Duck Island, Waste Water Treatment Plant 451 First Street Blvd, Rt 110 |
| Who: | Lowell residents |
| What: | Used Motor Oil only |
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Your third option is to hold onto your used Motor Oil, and bring it to the next Household Hazardous Waste Day
Household Hazardous Waste Days
Lowell provides its residents with 2 comprehensive collection events each year -- one in the Spring, and one in the Fall. They are held at Cawley Stadium from 9am until 1pm. The last event drew over 625 cars. Be prapared for waits exceeding one hour!!
The next HHW Day will be held:
Saturday Sept. 11th 2010
Acceptable Materials
|
General Household & Hobby Acids (corrosives Aerosol Cans (with product) Art Supplies Chemistry Set Chemicals Fiberglass Resins Flammable Liquids Furniture Polish Floor and metal polishes Hobby supplies (rubber cement, airplane glue, etc.) Lead Paint Mercury and mercury devices Moth balls/crystals Oil Based Paints Photography chemicals Solvent adhesives Unlabeled and unknown chemicals Kitchen Drain cleaner Lighter fluids Oven cleaners Bathroom Hair dye Nail polish remover Toilet cleaners FREE
CRTs – TVs, computer monitors at $10-$20 each option: Call Allied Waste at 978-649-7564 for curbside collection. |
Laundry Brighteners Chlorine bleach Spot removers Spray starch Whiteners Lawn and Garden Cesspool cleaners (corrosives) Empty or partially empty propane tanks (up to 20lbs) Fire starters Flea and tick powders Fungicides and Herbicides Insecticides No-pest strips and Pesticides Poisons Pool chemicals Automotive Antifreeze Brake fluid Carburetor cleaners Lead-acid batteries (auto, motorcycle, security alarm, etc.) Radiator flush Solvents and degreasers Transmission fluid Used Motor Oil Waste Fuels (gasoline, kerosene, etc.) NEW FEES (Cash Only) Passenger Tires $5 ea TV/Monitors <26 inch $10 TV/Monitor >26 inch $20 FREE Propane Tanks |
Unacceptable Materials and How to Dispose of each
| Alkaline Batteries | (AAA, AA, C & D) Dispose of with regular household trash |
| Asbestos | Look in the Yellow Pages under Asbestos Removal for a licensed contractor |
| Construction Waste |
(including railroad ties, shingles, dry wall, etc.) Call a private hauler |
| Explosives | Call the Fire Department at 978-970-4140 |
| Fire extinguishers | Dispose of at local fire station |
| Smoke Dectors | May be disposed of with your regular trash or mailed back to the manufacturer. Manufacturer's address may be found on the underside of the unit. |
| Latex Paint |
Latex paint is not considered hazardous, but needs to be dry/hardened when put out with the trash. The best thing to do is either leave the lids off the cans until the paint dries, or help the drying process along with kitty litter, or a waste paint hardener that can be purchased where paint is sold. When the paint is dry, and you put it out with the trash, leave the lids off so that the trash collectors know it is dry. They won't take it wet because it can make a real mess in a compactor truck, and subsequently on our streets! We don't take latex at Hazardous Waste day because at the end of the day we pay the hauler by the gallon to take the stuff away, and it so it wouldn't make sense for us to add non-hazardous paint to the volume collected. |
If you miss Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Day
If you are not able to wait until the next free HHW event because you are moving for instance, or if you just missed an event and really want to rid you home of your hazardous waste, you now have one option:
- Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility in Lexington. See below for pricing and location
Minuteman Household Hazardous Products Facility in Lexington
at the Lexington Compost Facility
60 Hartwell Avenue
Lexington, MA 02421Open in 2010 on the following 8 weekend days,
from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm:
[Collection dates are Saturdays except where indicated.]
- July 17
- August 21
- Sunday, September 19
- October 16
- November 13
Directions to the facility:
From Rte 128 take exit 31 (Rte 4/225 heading towards Bedford).
At the first light take a right, via jug handle, onto Hartwell Ave.
The composting facility site is ¼ mile on the left just after the bike path .
For More Information
For more information on hazardous waste visit the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) website at
http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/hproduct.htm
For consumer questions on HHP:
DEP Household Hazardous Waste Hotline: 800-343-3420
For general information on hard to manage wastes:
DEP Coordinator for Hard to Manage Wastes: 617-292-5704
For questions specifically about used oil collection centers:
DEP Used Oil Hotline: 617-556-1022
For poison exposure information
