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Free drop-off for household hazardous waste

Fill out, bring registration form to make long lines go quickly

COVINGTON, Ky. – Think of it as the average home's version of fuel rods from a nuclear reactor: dangerous waste that's difficult to get rid of in a safe and eco-friendly manner.

Things like empty aerosol cans, used antifreeze, dead batteries, left-over pesticides, oil-based paint, and flammable liquids.

On Saturday, Nov. 5, the challenge is solved.

Covington residents can drop off a range of household hazardous waste at a free, five-hour regional event in Florence. 

“People ask all the time what they can do to save the Earth,” said Sheila Fields, Covington's Solid Waste and Recycling Coordinator. “This is the event they've been waiting for. These are the materials that turn our waterways and dirt into dead zones when they're disposed of improperly.”

The event is a massive undertaking that has attracted nearly 3,000 vehicles the last few years. Volunteers such as those from the City of Covington unload cars, so lines go quickly, but drivers should leave time to get through the lines.

To speed the process, drivers need to print, fill out and bring with them a short and simple registration form that's available HERE.

The event will be held 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Thomas More Stadium (aka the home of the Florence Y’alls baseball team), at 7950 Freedom Way in Florence.

It's organized by the Northern Kentucky Household Hazardous Waste Action Coalition, made up of regional solid waste, sewer, health and cooperative extension agencies.

Items that can be dropped off:

  • Aerosol cans.
  • Antifreeze.
  • Batteries (all types).
  • Corrosives/flammables (fuel, kerosene, etc.).
  • E-scraps (computers, monitors, keyboards, printers, cell phones, etc.).
  • Ink cartridges/toner.
  • Light bulbs (including 4-foot and 8-foot tubes and CFL bulbs).
  • Oil (motor oil, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid, and brake fluid).
  • Paint (10-can limit).
  • Pesticides (limit of 2 gallons/2 lbs.).
  • Cylinders and tanks (propane, fire extinguisher, helium, etc.).
  • Televisions (limit of 2 per vehicle). 

Items that WON'T be accepted include appliances, fertilizer, devices that contain mercury, medications, explosives, and tires. (Visit HERE for proper disposal methods of these items.) Paper is also not accepted.

In 2021 the event recycled 117,047 pounds of household hazardous waste including household cleaners, paint batteries, fuels, and light bulbs.

Note that the event is for residents, not commercial businesses. For more information about the event, see HERE.

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