HazMobile picks up those dodgy discards

Aucklanders need no longer worry about what to do with unwanted chemical products, PHILIP ENGLISH reports.

Aucklanders with dangerous or unwanted household cleaners, paints, oil or garden chemicals lurking in cupboards or on workshop shelves can dispose of them safely in a new Auckland Regional Council hazardous waste collection service.

After a successful 10-month trial of a mobile hazardous waste collection service that ended in June, the ARC has decided to make the service permanent.

The HazMobile removes hazardous chemicals from the waste system where they can leach into the environment through landfills or cause other problems.

Last year the National Poisons Centre received nearly 4000 calls relating to children swallowing household poisons.

And not so long ago the load on a rubbish truck crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge caught fire.

The suspected cause was battery acid reacting with household chemicals put into the rubbish by people not thinking about the consequences of their actions.

If it is dangerous to keep unused chemicals around the home and it is dangerous to throw them out with the rubbish, the Hazmobile free collection service will take them.

The first of a series of monthly collections across the region is on Saturday, and after the experience of the previous trial the ARC expects a good response.

Staff and the HazMobile, a modified shipping container transported by truck, will be at the Rawene Rd car park at the Birkenhead shopping centre from 10 am to 2 pm.

Between September and December last year, five trial collections resulted in more than 35 tonnes of paint, oil, car batteries and household or garden chemicals being handed in for safe recycling or disposal.

The collections included more than 15 tonnes of paint, nearly 10 tonnes of oil, about 6 tonnes of car batteries and about 5 tonnes of household and garden chemicals.

More than 1400 people were involved in Papakura, Waiuku, Pukekohe, Albany and Takapuna. Of those questioned, most said they had stored their hazardous waste for more than two years.

Allan Goddard, the ARC manager of resource efficiency, said people were pleased to have the opportunity to dispose of chemicals safely.

"They come along with bootloads of paint and oil they've been storing in the back of their garages for yonks.

"A lot of people say 'Great, finally we've got somewhere to get rid of this stuff'."

Mr Goddard said the service was a cost-effective way of dealing with hazardous chemicals that could otherwise end up in landfills, in the sewage system or poured down a stormwater drain to contaminate freshwater streams or the sea.

Most of the materials, such as car batteries or waste oil, are recycled. Old paint is made into new paint used to cover up graffiti. Paint containers are also recycled.

The ARC also has tips for people wanting to use alternatives to manufactured household chemicals.

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be an all-purpose cleaner and scouring powder, white vinegar cuts grease and is a mild disinfectant, lemon juice is a mild bleach and borax, available from chemists, cleans, deodorises, bleaches and disinfects as well as controlling pests like ants and cockroaches.

The HazMobile will be in Manukau next month, Pukekohe and Papakura in October, Manukau in November and in North Shore City again in December. Advertisements in local newspapers and mail-outs will advise residents of impending HazMobile visits.

The service is coordinated with local councils except for Waitakere City, which is not part of the scheme.

* For more information phone the ARC enviroline on 09-366-2070 or 0800- 806040 or go to the HazMobile website.

Do's and don'ts

Acceptable HazMobile waste:

* Paint.
* Solvent.
* All types of batteries (torch to car).
* Oil.
* Gas cylinders.
* Household cleaners (from oven cleaners to bleach).
* Auto products.
* Poisons.
* Garden chemicals.
* Smoke alarms.
* Fire extinguishers.

Unacceptable HazMobile waste:

* Medical waste.
* Commercial hazardous waste.
* Explosives.

HazMobile