Getting rid of household hazards!

Norfolk residents are being invited to hand over unwanted hazardous household products

Over time, many of us accumulate a host of products such as cans of
paint, varnish, pesticides and oven cleaner in our kitchen cupboards and garden sheds.

Paint thinners, wood preservatives, treatments and varnishes will be accepted at the Recycling Centres at the end of May and beginning of June.
Paint thinners, wood preservatives, treatments and varnishes will be accepted at the Recycling Centres at the end of May and beginning of June.

These materials can build up, remain unused and eventually go out of date and should be disposed of responsibly.

The county's Recycling Centres do not usually accept household hazardous waste but special amnesty events will be held at select Recycling Centres across the county at the end of May and beginning of June.

The events will occur over one weekend, between the hours of 8am and 6pm.

A qualified chemist will be on site to inspect any unidentifiable containers and to oversee the safe collection, packaging and disposal.

Products residents can bring along include:

  • Garden pesticides and fertilisers

  • Wood preservatives, treatments and varnishes

  • Paints and thinners

  • Household chemicals and cleansers

  • Cooking oil

Unfortunately, the Recycling Centres will not be able to accept:

  • Asbestos

  • Non-domestic chemicals

  • Explosives

  • Fireworks and flares

Full details of the events will be publicised in your local press. For more information, including options for the safe disposal of items not accepted at the amnesty events, call Norfolk County Council on 0844 800 8004.

Please take care when transporting products to the events. Products should be left in their original containers and not mixed. To avoid spillages, you may wish to transport items inside sealed containers.

The Household Hazardous Waste Amnesty Events are being held to assist residents in the safe disposal of hazardous household items.

Wherever possible, if the items you have are reusable (such as paint or varnish) please use them up, or pass them on to someone who can.

 

Tins of paint or varnish that are half full can be donated to the Community Re>Paint Scheme, run by Mini-Scrapbox in Reepham.
Tins of paint or varnish that are half full can be donated to the Community Re>Paint Scheme, run by Mini-Scrapbox in Reepham.

Tins of paint or varnish that are half full can be donated to the Community Re>Paint Scheme, run by Mini-Scrapbox in Reepham. The paints are then passed on to community groups and those with a genuine need.

Secretary Jim Elliott said: "People often think there is nothing they can do with a half full tin of paint - but there is!

"We can take the tins, mix them together and create shades that are perfectly useable. This saves the paint from being thrown away and
helps those who might otherwise struggle to afford the cost of redecorating a building or room."

Paints which can be used by Re>Paint include emulsion, gloss, masonry paint, eggshell, satin and floor paint.

Half tins (or more) may be taken to B&Q in Norwich and Great Yarmouth and to Homebase in Dereham.

"The scheme helps everyone," said Jim.

"It enables householders to get rid of the paint, it enables those in need to have the products they require and it helps the environment because these materials do not have to be thrown away."

Empty milk, juice and other cartons can now be recycled at 5 Recycling Centres in Norfolk as part of a six-month pilot scheme.
Empty milk, juice and other cartons can now be recycled at 5 Recycling Centres as part of a six-month pilot scheme.

Empty milk, juice and other cartons can now be recycled at 5 Recycling Centres in Norfolk as part of a six-month pilot scheme.

The project, which has received funding from Tetra Pak UK, has been launched by Norfolk County Council in response to the huge number of paper-based cartons we throw away.

Householders can now wash these out, squash them and take them to:

  • Norwich

  • Thetford

  • King's Lynn

  • Caister and

  • Wells Recycling Centres.

The project will initially run until the end of June; the extension of the scheme is dependent on successful participation by residents.

You can also recycle fluorescent tubes and batteries at any of Norfolk's 20 recycling centres.

For more information on the amnesty for Hazardous Products call (0844) 800 8004

For more information on Community Re>Paint call (01603) 873128