Monroe County launches community-wide effort to protect public health and environment with mobile events for hazardous waste and pharmaceutical disposal

Monroe County, New York – Monroe County is taking proactive steps to ensure the safe disposal of household hazardous waste and unused pharmaceuticals, as announced by County Executive Adam Bello. The initiative, led by the Department of Environment Services, aims to provide convenient and free disposal options directly to the community through a series of mobile collection events.

The problem of improperly disposed hazardous materials poses a significant threat to both environmental and public health. Recognizing this, the county has organized these events to allow residents to easily rid their homes of potentially dangerous substances.

“Both the health of our environment and the health of our families can be jeopardized by the improper disposal of household hazardous waste,” said County Executive Adam Bello. “That’s why we’re making it easier than ever to dispose of hazardous items by bringing our collection initiative to our neighborhoods. Just bring your household hazardous waste and pharmaceuticals to one of our collection events and our Department of Environmental Services will handle the rest.”

The program invites residents to bring up to 30 gallons of various hazardous materials, including paint, automotive fluids, fertilizers, household cleaners, and pool chemicals, to designated collection sites. There is no charge for the disposal of these items, ensuring that all residents, regardless of their economic status, can participate.

For the household hazardous waste collections, residents must book an appointment. This can be easily done through the Monroe County/WM Ecopark website. The scheduled dates and locations for these collections are as follows: April 26 at the Town of Gates Department of Public Works, May 17 at the Town of Perinton DPW, June 7 at the Town of Ogden DPW, September 20 at the Town of Webster DPW, and October 4 at the Town of Greece DPW.

In addition to these specific dates, Monroe County has also scheduled four pharmaceutical collection events, aimed at collecting unused or expired medications. Unlike the hazardous waste collections, these pharmaceutical events do not require an appointment, making it even easier for residents to participate. Three of these events will be held in partnership with local Wegmans Food Markets on May 3, July 19, and September 10. The first event will take place on April 12 at Churchville Park.

For residents who might miss these scheduled events, Monroe County provides ongoing disposal services every Wednesday and Saturday at the Monroe County/WM Ecopark, located at 10 Avion Drive in Rochester.

The county’s efforts reflect a commitment to sustainability and public health, providing essential services to safely manage waste that, if not handled properly, could lead to significant environmental damage. By facilitating these collection events, Monroe County not only helps residents declutter their homes from hazardous materials but also contributes to the broader goal of maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all its citizens.

For further details on what constitutes household hazardous waste and more information on the collection events, residents are encouraged to visit the Monroe County Ecopark website.