HAVE you got a container of chemicals that you just aren't sure how to get rid of?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Well the Household Chemical Cleanout on Saturday, September 2, could be just the thing you need to safely dispose of up to 20 litres or kilograms of chemicals, free of charge.
Though the response in past years has been very good, council are trialling a new day, location and time for the 2023 event.
For the first time since the inception of the Cleanout, it will take place on a Saturday, as a means to ensure the event is accessible to more people, and will be held from 10am until 1pm.
This year's event will also be held at a new location, from the Council Works Depot Carpark on Durham Street, next to the John Matthews Sporting Complex.
![Zach Stammers from Environmental Treatment Solutions helping Bathurst residents dispose of household chemicals during the 2022 Chemical Cleanout. Picture by Sam Bolt Zach Stammers from Environmental Treatment Solutions helping Bathurst residents dispose of household chemicals during the 2022 Chemical Cleanout. Picture by Sam Bolt](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/187433128/edfac8f1-cef8-4c94-9787-595da731c819.jpg/r0_0_1156_652_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Mayor Robert Taylor said the event is an opportunity for residents to dispose of household chemical products from their garage, garden shed and under the kitchen sink for free.
These items include: garden chemicals, pool chemicals, paint, household cleaners, poisons, batteries, motor oils, fluids and fuels, fluorescent lights, gas bottles, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and hobby chemicals.
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
"The event prevents dangerous chemicals ending up in landfill, contaminating land and water and causing bigger problems," he said.
This is extremely important for not only the health of local residents, but also the health of the environment and the thriving ecosystems around the Bathurst area.
If chemicals are disposed of incorrectly, it can have dire consequences.
"Some items have the potential to be dangerous if they are mixed together," Cr Taylor said.
"Residents should never dispose of chemicals and hazardous waste materials in their kerbside waste bins. Hazardous waste can cause fires in garbage trucks at the landfill/recycling depot, which can put residents and waste workers at risk.
"Hazardous waste can also poison land and waterways if not disposed of correctly."
At the Chemical Cleanout, these items can be categorised and sorted properly, to then be transported to Sydney for recycling.
The materials are handled by council waste staff, as well as Environmental Treatment Solutions staff, who will all be wearing personal protective equipment and are highly experienced with handling chemicals.
These staff members will also be enforcing a traffic management plan, with public exclusion areas and barriers in place to ensure the public cannot access any potential unsafe areas.
Cr Taylor said that he would recommend that residents ensure that all chemicals are transported safely, taking particular care that containers are fitted correctly with no leaking or spillage.
For those who are unable to attend the Chemical Cleanout, Cr Taylor said that core problem waste can be disposed of all year round at the Community Recycling Centre at the Waste Management Centre.
Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.