Let's ditch hazardous household trash

Hawke's Bay is one of only a few regions which hold regular hazardous chemical collections and this year nearly 20 tonnes of waste is expected to be dropped off at centres in Hastings and Napier.

The HazMobile scheme has run in the Bay each year since 2003 and, over that time, had collected about 146 tonnes of waste from paints to automotive products, light bulbs and batteries.

Hastings District Council waste minimisation planner Angela Atkins said hazardous waste could cause serious harm to people and the environment if not disposed of correctly.

"All residents should have a look around their properties to identify items which could be best disposed of at the HazMobile."

Chemicals handed in would go to a variety of destinations where they could be recycled or carefully disposed of.

Chemicals out of cars are managed by Bards Environmental in Hastings. Enviropaints from Otaki will be in Hawke's Bay to take paint handed in at the collection to recycle.

Other chemicals on the day are transported to Auckland where they are treated at a centre and other "dangerous chemicals" were sent to Europe where they were processed under the Basel Convention, a document which sets out international guidelines for waste disposal.

Light bulbs and fluorescent light tubes were collected by EnviroWaste Wellington for processing at its plant in the capital while gas bottles and gas heaters were collected by Gas Works, Hastings.

Last year about 19 tonnes of waste was collected from the HazMobile unit and about 20 tonnes in 2009. In terms of volume, paint recorded the highest figures followed by chemicals, then light bulbs and tubes.

Ms Atkins said the e-waste collection, which is another annual operation where people can hand in old TVs and computers, would not be held this year because the Ministry for the Environment had decided not to support it financially.

She said the council was keen to hold an e-waste collection next year, possibly in partnership with private enterprise, because of the number of CRT televisions being discarded as people switch to the digital television network.

"The Warehouse had a TV take-back not so long ago and collected 28,000 TVs nationally. It is high on our priority list."

The collection was a free service and would be held at the Hastings Sports Centre, Railway Rd, on Saturday, November 12 and at the Eastern Truck and Marine, Austin St, Onekawa in Napier on November 13. It will be open from 10am to 2pm on both days.