REDUCE – REUSE – RECYCLE
&
SAFE HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL
HOW TO RECYCLE IN COLUMBIA COUNTY
(At the GREENPORT TRANSFER STATION 51 Newman Road, Hudson, NY–OFFICE HOURS 8:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. or at your town’s recycling center)
Learn how to Recycle Right in NY
NOT ACCEPTED AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Following are names of obvious hazardous wastes and what to do about them. Do not discard any of them among your household trash. They could injure a sanitation worker and will damage the environment. Plus, it is usually against the law.
Columbia County accepts a variety of material on its annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program Day — but not everything.
OFFICIAL GUIDANCE: For legal and regulatory guidance, call the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Hazardous Substances Regulation: 518-485-8988 or 800-462-6553.
Asbestos products: Call an asbestos removal contractor.
Building or construction debris: Contact a carting or dumpster service.
Aerosol containers: Empty contents into a box or bag in a well-ventilated area such as outdoors (highly recommended). Then dispose of in household trash.
Car batteries: Return to an auto center or car repair shop.
Fluorescent bulbs: All contain mercury and are hazardous waste. Take CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) to a big-box retailer such as Lowe’s and Home Depot, which have CFL drop boxes. Take fluorescent-tube lights to a hazardous waste event. Tape them together or put them in a box to minimize breakage.
Or
Contact the Solid Waste Administration Office at 828-2737 for proper disposal instructions.
Latex paint: Dry the paint using kitty litter, sawdust or the sun. Re-lid the can, put in a sturdy plastic bag and throw in the trash.
Hazardous liquids: To rid yourself of any, including the following, make an appointment with a hazardous waste collection program: Acids 💀 Adhesives 💀 Chemicals 💀 Metal polish 💀 Oil and lead paints 💀 Paint strippers 💀 Pesticides 💀 Poisons 💀 Preservatives 💀 Resins 💀 Sealants 💀 Solvents 💀 Tar 💀 Waterproofing
Medical (biohazard) waste: This is a federal matter — go to the EPA website for expert advice.
Motor oil: Return to an auto center or car repair shop.
Pharmaceuticals and medications: Call the local or state police or sheriff.
Propane or other flammable-gas cylinders: Return to the source or a refill station.
Radioactive materials: Contact the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Tires: Return to an auto center or tire store.
Check out The Ozone in Red Hook, NY– a sustainability resource and education center. Among other things, it offers free recycling of things you can’t recycle in Columbia County. They partner with TerraCycle, a volunteer-based recycling platform that collects non-recyclable pre-consumer and post-consumer waste on behalf of corporate donors or municipalities to turn it into raw material to be used in new products.