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There’s a proper place for those unwanted household chemicals
By MaryHelen Swanson
 The snow is gone and you can finally open the garage door. You know the garage, that place where you’re suppose to store your vehicles?
Recently, Jim King, left, brought in a number of cans of old paint. He hadn’t realized how much he had stored at home. Environmental technician Chris Demko helped remove the cans from King’s trunk, which is the best place to transport such items.
Somehow it has become the receptacle for a ton of cans, bottles and containers of stuff.
Stuff you want to get rid of, and you know you should be disposing of it properly. But how? And where?
For those living in Chisago, Isanti and even Washington counties, there is a place in North Branch called the Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHWF).
It is located in the original industrial park and is easily accessed.
Open Mondays from noon to 7 p.m. and the last Saturday of each month from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., the facility is the place to take those unwanted household chemicals.
Items that are accepted include automotive products such as antifreeze, used oil, power steering and transmission fluids, oil filters and gasoline.
Home improvement products accepted include adhesives, driveway sealers, paints, paint stripper, paint thinner, roofing tar, rust remover, solvents, stains, varnish, wood preservatives, aerosols, etc.
Other items accepted include rechargeable batteries (alkaline and carbon batteries can be disposed of in the trash), household cleaners such as drain cleaners, oven cleaners and spot removers; and lawn and garden chemicals such as fertilizers with weed killer, flea killer, herbicides, mothballs, and pesticides.
But don’t stop there, you can also bring in acids and bases, fluorescent bulbs, mercury, pool chemicals, propane cylinders and even cell phones. (Hint: they will accept the new compact fluorescent bulbs, too. If one is broken, place it in a zippered plastic bag to bring in).
The facility in North Branch also accepts sharps used for diabetic testing.
Things that are not accepted include ammunition, appliances and tires, vehicle batteries, construction debris, electronics, trash and pharmaceuticals.
There are, however, places where those unacceptable items are accepted.
For instance, you can call the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office if you want to get rid of ammunition at (651) 257-4100.
While we never really think of pharmaceuticals (old or unwanted medicine) as hazardous waste, it is now known that flushing these drugs down the toilet or tossing them in the trash is not a good thing.
According to information provided through the Chisago County Unwanted Medication Disposal Program, research shows that the toilet may be the least environmentally friendly method of disposing of old or unwanted drugs.
This new program offered in Chisago County allows residents to drop off unwanted medicines, even over-the-counter drugs, at the depository by the Sheriff’s Office in the basement of the Government Center in Center City.
Drop off hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. You may remove personal information from the bottle, but leave the name of the drug on the bottle. The medications are properly destroyed in an approved manner.
Now back to that garage, or the shed, or the old farmstead you have to clean up before the property can be sold.
When bringing in items to the HHWF, be sure to protect yourself by wearing protective clothing if necessary, and transport the items in your trunk or the rear of the vehicle.
Keep chemicals in original containers, with labels, if at all possible. Do not mix chemicals.
At the HHWF, you may find the following personnel: Lisa Thibodeau who, as Chisago County Interim Solid Waste Officer, can also provide information on solid waste, waste reduction and pollution prevention and Paul Dennison, the HHWF coordinator.
Most recently the facility has hired Chris Demko as an environmental technician.
Gary Noren is on a one-year leave as the county’s solid waste officer to work on a school waste reduction program in schools throughout Chisago County.
At the facility, when you bring in items, you will be asked to sign a register and show proof of residency.
Chisago County residents may use the facility at no charge, but bring your ID. The facility is funded in part by the county’s Waste Management Fee.
Chisago County has a reciprocity agreement with Washington County which means Washington County residents may use the Chisago County facility and Chisago County residents may use the Washington County facility.
Residents of Isanti County may participate by voucher. These residents should call (763) 689-5165 to get a voucher.
It is easy to bring items to the facility; a handy drive-up area is provided. One of the staff will assist you in placing your items on a cart. Inside, staff will immediately begin sorting through the items. That way, if there are any questions, the resident is still there to give answers.
Paint, particularly latex paint, is probably the biggest volume item received. But latex paint is recyclable.
In fact, many of the items brought in to the facility are recyclable.
Used motor oil is collected and sent off to be re-refined.
Antifreeze is recycled.
Paint has a whole new life when it is brought in.
Much of the latex paint may be sent to a company which makes another paint or other products from it.
Some of it walks out the door.
No, it doesn’t have feet, but after examination, cans of paint that might be of value to other residents are placed in what is known as the Reuse Room.
In the office portion of the HHWF building are shelves filled with good, reusable products - free for the taking by users of the facility.
Do you need a small amount of paint for, say, painting the lawn chair or picnic table? Stop by the HHWF in North Branch.
There are items of all sorts, partially used, and probably enough for your needs.
The items change almost on a daily bases, so you may or may not find what you need, but it’s worth a try to put these chemicals to use instead of having to dispose of them.
Dennison and Thibodeau both noted that each year the number of people using the facility increases.
When the facility opened, there was a lot of items brought in from old farm properties.
Thibodeau and Dennison believe the presence of the HHWF has helped clean up the county.
“It’s kept the landfill cleaner for sure,” said Dennison.
What they are seeing now is an offshoot of the home foreclosure situation.
It began last summer, he said, when someone approached him and wanted to know what to do with the stuff from a foreclosed home. People are walking away from them, leaving behind items that need to be disposed of before resale.
Since last summer, Dennison has seen quite a few of these cases.
Thibodeau reminds people to keep and read labels of all chemical products purchased.
“If used the proper way,” Dennison said, it’s not a problem, if used wrong or disposed of wrong, there’s a problem.”
The facility took in 100 tons of household hazardous waste in 2007. Everything is recycled or properly disposed of, Dennison said.
So, now, there is no reason to avoid the garage and all those unwanted chemical items filling up shelves in places at home where you could store other stuff.
Stuff is good, in the proper place.
And that goes for unwanted household chemicals.
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