Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and DC Department of Public Works Director William O. Howland today announced that Saturday, May 17, the District will open its first permanent, free, weekly Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and electronic recycling (E-cycling) drop-off site, at the Benning Road Trash Transfer Station, 3200 Benning Road, NE. The drop-off site will be open Saturdays, except holidays, from 8 am to 3 pm.
Mayor Fenty also announced that beginning Saturday, May 24, the District will offer the metropolitan area’s first permanent weekly document shredding service for residents, also to be located at the Benning Road Trash Transfer Station. “In the age of identity theft, shredding will help give residents some peace of mind. It also is a safe alternative to throwing away personal information, which is one of the causes of this rising crime,” he said.
“Weekly collection sites mean residents can get rid of dangerous household waste and unwanted electronics faster, which will keep our environment and drinking water safer,” DPW Director William O. Howland Jr. said. “The various shredding events attracted thousands of people, which is why we are incorporating this service at our HHE/E-cycling drop-off sites.” He added that weekly HHW and E-cycling collections will begin, this summer, at the Ft. Totten Trash Transfer Station at 4900 Bates Road, NE, where residents also can drop off bulk items.
Following the announcement, which occurred at the Benning Road site, DPW employees displayed samples of HHW and electronics that will be accepted, and demonstrated how these items will be unloaded from residents’ vehicles and placed in roll-off containers for disposal.
Acceptable HHW items include leftover cleaning and gardening chemicals, small quantities of gasoline, pesticides and poisons, mercury thermometers, paint, solvents, spent batteries of all kinds, antifreeze, chemistry sets, automotive fluids, and asbestos tiles.
Unacceptable items include ammunition, bulk trash, wooden TV consoles, propane tanks, microwave ovens, air conditioners and other appliances, as well as radioactive or medical wastes.
All electronics will be broken down into parts and recycled or disposed of safely. Computers and hard drives will be wiped clean three times using US Department of Defense high-level security wiping procedures.
Learn more about household hazardous waste and e-cycling by visiting DPW’s website at www.dpw.dc.gov or by dialing 311.