Household Hazardous Waste

OPEN FOR COLLECTION: Mondays 1-3 p.m. & Thursdays 7-9 a.m. 

The Wyoming site is on the grounds of the City’s Clean Water Plant which is located at 2350 Ivanrest Ave. SW.  The open hours for drop-offs are listed below.  You may come between those hours with no appointment necessary. 

NEW Drop-off Instructions - The driveway for access to the Household Hazardous Waste site is located just north of the railroad tracks at Chicago Drive on the east side of Ivanrest Ave.  It is marked with a green and black sign as seen in the photo that is included with this article.  Follow the green signs and the green road markings, which will direct you to our HHW container.  At the last left turn, keep vehicle between the green lines and pull ahead to the STOP sign.  You will be assisted by a member of our Environmental Services staff.  (You no longer have to check in at the front office). 

For the safety of everyone, DO NOT leave any Hazardous Waste unattended at or near the container.  Hours for drop-off are Monday afternoons 1 - 3 p.m. and Thursday mornings 7 - 9 a.m.

You may call (616) 261-3564 for additional information.

Kent County HHW Locations and Hours

Summer Hours: April - October

 Winter Hours: November - March

News and Announcements

The HHW Program is no longer accepting Alkaline Batteries (most common sizes are C, D AA, AAA and 9 volt) for recycling as of January 1, 2016. The changes implemented are a result of the “Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996” which required the phase out of mercury in most batteries and now makes it safe to discard them into your regular trash. We will continue to accept all other types such as Ni-Cd, Lithium Ion, lead acid, Nickel Metal Hydride and Nickel Zinc batteries free of charge from any Kent Co resident.

Sharps Program

Kent County residents have an option for safe disposal of used needles. Kent County residents may request a free container from any KCHD facility. After completing a brief registration form, KCHD will issue an approved container that users may take home. Once full, the container can be returned to any KCHD facility where it will be exchanged for a new one. KCHD will not accept sharps in any container that was not issued through this program. The following are the locations for drop off and pick up:

· Kent County Health Department - 700 Fuller Ave. NE, Grand Rapids

· Sheldon Clinic - 121 Franklin SE, Grand Rapids

· South Clinic – 4700 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Kentwood

· North County Clinic – 4388 14 Mile Road NE, Rockford

You can visit their website at https://www.accesskent.com/Health/health_clinics.htm for hours of operations.

Types of materials accepted:

• Automotive fluids
• Solvents
• Batteries (see News & Announcements above)
• Cleaners
• Pesticides and insecticides
• Oil-based paints and stains
• Photochemicals
• Ammunitions
• Fireworks
• And more

Materials we cannot accept:

• Explosives
• Propane tanks or cylinders
• Biological or infectious waste
• Latex Paint
• Controlled Substances
• Radioactive material

Latex Paint: We do not accept latex (water soluble) paint. To properly dispose of latex paint, mix it with kitty litter, sawdust or other absorbent material, allow to dry/harden and dispose of it along with your normal residential garbage. The Clean Water Plant will provide sawdust if needed.

Quantities: We cannot take more than 20 gallons of materials such as used motor oil and it cannot be in containers larger than five gallon buckets.

How to Prepare Materials for Transport

• Wear protective gloves when handling hazardous materials.
• Make sure all containers have lids and are securely closed.
• Do not transport open or leaking containers.
• Place any material that's in a leaking container in a secure, labeled container.
• If the material is not in the original container, label the current container with the product name or ingredient and make sure the container is safe for transport. Please notify city staff of unlabeled or mismarked containers.
• Do not mix different chemicals together
• Place material upright in a box with a good bottom - do not place material in garbage bags.
• Do not allow materials to lay loose in your vehicle.
• Do not place near children or pets while transporting

Grease

Grease blockages cause major problems in sanitary sewer lines. Liquid grease that is poured down the drain hardens downstream, reducing sanitary sewer flow. Eventually, the flow becomes constricted enough to entirely block off the sanitary sewer line and cause a sewer back-up. These back-ups are expensive to fix and repair, not to mention the mess that sometimes occurs in residential basements.

Grease blockages typically occur downstream of restaurants. All restaurants within the City of Wyoming are required to install a grease trap which collects grease and inhibits it from entering the sanitary sewer system. The Clean Water Plant maintains a grease monitoring program and actively inspects restaurants within the service area to make sure that their grease trap is properly maintained. The photo to the right is a sewer line coming from a restaurant in Wyoming that did not properly maintain their grease trap.

However, grease blockages can occur from residential homes and apartments as well. Cooking oil, bacon/sausage grease, butter and margarine can clog up residential sewer lines and cause back-ups as well. DO NOT POUR OIL OR GREASE DOWN THE DRAIN!

Grease can be collected in an old can or pickle jar and then thrown away when hard. The Clean Water Plant also provides a plastic box called a "Fat Trapper" and disposable foil liners that can be used to collect and store grease. When the grease hardens, it can be thrown away with normal garbage. These units can be picked up at the Utility billing office at the Wyoming City Hall or at the Clean Water Plant.

Disposable, Not Flushable!

Did you know flushing baby wipes, disinfecting wipes, disposable mop refills, toss-in toilet bowl wands, towelettes, and even paper towel can cause problems in the City’s sewer system?

Many of these products are labeled as disposable, but they can clog the sewer system, causing costly clean-up. They don’t dissolve or break down after being flushed.

The potential environmental consequence could be raw sewage overflowing into your home or local stream.

Although these products are marketed to busy consumers like yourselves, eager to get the job done quickly, please don’t flush these items. Please help protect public health, the environment, and water quality by putting used cleaning wipes, pads, swabs, and anything else besides human waste and toilet paper in the trash and not in the toilet!

Many thanks to City of Spokane Department of Wastewater Management for sharing its entertaining and educational video in partnership with Water Environment Federation titled "Will It Flush?".

More Information

For more information or questions, please contact the Environmental Services Department at (616) 261-3564.