This Saturday is the perfect time to clear the decks by getting rid of household problem waste like paint, gas bottles, pool chemicals, cleaning products, batteries, and more.
The free Chemical CleanOut at Rathmines boat ramp will allow Hunter residents to responsibly dispose of problem waste, without having to leave the car.
Lake Macquarie City Council Waste Services Manager Paul Collins said the event was a great opportunity to ensure potentially harmful waste ended up in the right place.
"Many people have waste they don't know what to do with sitting in their shed, garage, laundry, or even under the kitchen sink," Mr Collins said.
Waste such as floor care products, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, cooking oils, motor fluids, and herbicides cannot be disposed of in household kerbside bins.
"We need to make sure we're not throwing these types of waste in the bin, as they can cause damage to our precious environment," Mr Collins said.
Most of the waste collected on the day will be recycled, with anything else disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner.
The waste will be collected by operators direct from car boots, trays and trailers.
A maximum of 20 litres or 20kg of a single item can be offloaded.
"The exception is paint," Mr Collins said.
"Up to 100 litres will be accepted."
Due to safety, chemicals arriving for drop-off should not be mixed, and should remain in original labelled packaging where possible.
"The safest way to transport hazardous liquid is to wrap the bottle in newspaper, followed by a plastic bag, and then place it in a container away from people in the car," Mr Collins said.
The Chemical CleanOut event is run in partnership with the NSW Environmental Protection Authority.
Walk-ins are not accepted.
