Clean Sweep 2011

Chemical Disposal Day

Every year, the Watershed Agricultural Council collaborates with the Delaware County Department of Public Works to host a community hazardous waste collection day, known as Clean Sweep. Now entering its 15th year, Clean Sweep 2011 caters to watershed farmers, Delaware County residents, businesses and county agencies.

Clean Sweep is free to all watershed farmers in the eight watershed counties, as well as Delaware County residents, businesses and county agencies. Additional fees may apply to select item recycling; check this list for details. Download this Clean Sweep brochure to tally up your waste items prior to calling for an appointment.

Residents can turn in pharmaceuticals, medicines, sharps and syringes again this year. These should be bagged or boxed appropriately to reduce personal injury during transport and redemption. Flourescent bulbs should be secured and surrounded by cardboard. Residents can drop electronics like TVs, printers and computers, as well as motor oil and car batteries at the Solid Waste Facility, Route 10 in Walton, at any time. So start your clean out today, you don't have to wait for Clean Sweep!

If you have a basement full of old paints or a bunch of questionable cans in the garage, make an appointment for this year’s Clean Sweep. Pre-registration is August 22 through September 2. You MUST HAVE AN APPOINTMENT to participate in this year’s Clean Sweep. Simply us the attached brochure to create an approximate list of items and amounts you’ll be turning in; all lists are confidential and will not be shared with anyone. Call (607) 865-6474 or email CleanSweepDelaware@gmail.com to share your list of items; you’ll be assigned a day and time on which to show up. Farmers and small businesses will redeem waste on Friday, September 9; Delaware County residents will redeem their waste products on Saturday, September 10. PLEASE NO WALK-INS!

Leat year, we saw the largest turnout in the 14 years we've been conducting Clean Sweep. In 2010, 505 participants representing 29 watershed farms, 33 county businesses and 443 residences dropped off 46.14 tons of pesticides, flammable liquids, acids, toxins and e-wastes. This was our biggest redemption event ever! Each year through Clean Sweep, this voluntary Chemical Disposal Day collects pollutants that might otherwise enter our water supply. Among the most damaging contaminants redeemed last year were:

• 1.63 tons of mercury
• 24.1 tons of flammable liquids and paints
• 1.1 tons of motor oil and antifreeze
• 2.2 tons of pesticide liquids and solids

We're able to offer this community service FREE because of the commitment of organizations like these:

• Delaware County Department of Public Works
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County
• Watershed Agricultural Council

 

and with funding from

• the New York City Department of Environmental Protection,
• Watershed Agricultural Council,
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• and Delaware County.