MARIETTA - Washington County's popular Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day is back after a year's hiatus, and there will be a few changes in the 2012 event that also includes a paint swap.
But leave your old tires at home.
"We're not taking any scrap tires at this event," said Rob Reiter, coordinator for the Southeast Ohio Joint Solid Waste District.
"In the past we would take the first four tires people brought in for free, and we picked up the disposal cost which usually totaled between $1,500 and $2,500," he explained. "But as a group we felt all the money left after advertising this year should go completely to household hazardous waste."
Reiter said scrap tires will be accepted during a collection event in October, but there will be a cost of $1.50 per tire at that time.
"That's our cost to dispose of the tires," he said. "Two years ago we were paying $1 a tire."
Fact Box
If You Go
What: Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Paint Swap Day.
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 14.
Where: Solvay Employee Park, 11 River Road, off Ohio 7 between Marietta and Belpre.
Items Accepted: Used oil and antifreeze, batteries, aerosol cans, florescent tubes, paint and household chemicals. Free leftover paint will be available at the site.
Not Accepted: Tires and materials from commercial, industrial, governmental or agricultural sources.
For information: www.wasteabate.org
Reiter said this year's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day will cost around $45,000 without the tire collection.
It will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 14 at Solvay Employee Park, 11 River Road, off Ohio 7 between Marietta and Belpre.
Ted Mahone, owner of Mahone Tire Service on Front Street in Marietta, said the best way to get rid of old tires is to leave them at the shop when buying new tires for a vehicle.
"We don't charge extra to dispose of most regular-sized vehicle tires, although we do charge for some larger truck tires," he said. "We probably dispose of around 300 or 400 tires a week."
Mahone said the tires are hauled away weekly by a company from Zanesville.
"We do take some old tires from people who want to dispose of them at a cost of $2 each," he said.
Some other area tire dealers will also take regular-sized scrap tires at a similar price for disposal. But larger truck tires and tires still on rims will usually cost more.
Marietta City Councilman Roger Kalter, D-1st Ward, said he was disappointed to learn that this year's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day would not include free tire disposal.
He noted during last weekend's Community Service Day, many tires were pulled out of a wooded area on the steep hillside between Greene Street and Grandview Avenue.
Kalter said the ability to dispose of old tires during the collection day helps prevent people from dumping them over local hillsides.
"It's a real health issue, too," he said. "Tires provide a great habitat for mosquitoes."
Reiter said the annual Paint Swap Day is being combined with Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day this year.
"We get good paint through area contractors, many cans that are almost full. We set up a table where people can come through and pick up a can of free paint," he said. "There have been more than 3,000 gallons of paint during past events."
Reiter said the waste management district has held paint swap days for the last 15 years, usually as a separate event.
"This is the first time it will be integrated with the hazardous waste event," he said. "We're trying to streamline our costs and streamline our work."
This year's Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Paint Swap Day is being sponsored by the Southeast Ohio Joint Solid Waste District, Kraton Polymers, American Styrenics, Solvay Advanced Polymers, GPS Piping Services and the cities of Belpre and Marietta.
