Rhode Island residents can safely dispose of their household hazardous waste on Saturday, December 17 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, located at 65 Shun Pike in Johnston. This Eco-Depot is available to Rhode Island residents only and, to help reduce time spent in line, appointments should be made in advance.

Created in 2001, the Eco-Depot program is a free service offered by Resource Recovery that provides for the proper handling, packaging, storage, transportation and disposal of household hazardous waste. In addition to household hazardous waste, properly prepared sharps (i.e. needles, lancets) will also be accepted at this Eco-Depot collection. For sharps to be accepted for disposal, they must be secured either in a sharps container or a puncture-proof plastic bleach, detergent or coffee container that is taped shut and labeled “SHARPS.” Sharps containers prepared in this method can also be disposed of with regular trash collection.

“There’s no better way to end the year,” said Joe Rotella, Special Waste Manager for Resource Recovery. “With a simple appointment process that allows for quick and easy drop-offs, we hope more residents will join us in creating safer homes and a healthier environment for all Rhode Islanders.”

Many common household items are actually household hazardous waste materials that cannot be collected through Rhode Island’s standard trash and recycling collection services. These materials include fluorescent lightbulbs, gasoline, pesticides, oil-based paints, disinfectants, used motor oil and lawn and pool chemicals. When not properly collected and disposed, these materials can cause harm to the local environment by contaminating Rhode Island’s waterways. For a full list of household hazardous waste materials, visit www.ecodepotri.org.

To make an appointment for the collection, visit www.ecodepotri.org or call 942-1430 x241.