NYC SAFE Disposal Events Expanded, Starting This Weekend
This is one of the world's largest programs for recycling harmful household products. The New York City Department of Sanitation administers the program.
One of the world's largest programs for recycling harmful household products is expanding, with the NYC SAFE (Solvents, Automotive, Flammables and Electronics) Disposal events doubling to 10 events this year. The New York City Department of Sanitation administers the program, with Veolia providing waste services for the fourth time. This year's events begin April 11 at Midland Beach Park on Staten Island.
New York City Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia is encouraging residents to drop off potentially harmful household products for proper recycling and disposal. "NYC residents should bring items such as pesticides, strong cleaners, mercury thermostats, paint, motor oil, electronics, and medications to this year's SAFE Disposal events," she said. "This year, with more events in more neighborhoods, we're hoping to expand the opportunity for New Yorkers to safely and conveniently dispose of harmful materials."
Harmful household products collected in each of New York City's boroughs will be recycled or sent to one of Veolia's fully permitted hazardous waste treatment facilities. Most materials collected during the events will be recycled, recovered, or reclaimed, with liquid wastes such as paint blended for fuel and energy recovery as much as possible. Small amounts that cannot be recovered will be incinerated under strict environmental regulations, according to the company.
"We've been assisting DSNY with their NYC SAFE Disposal events since 2012, having collected over 1,279,000 pounds of materials since that time, and we are honored to bring our expertise to the service of New York City again in an effort to intercept harmful substances from landfills," said Steve Hopper, president and chief operating officer of Veolia North America's Industrial Business. "With the increased number of events, we're hoping to aid even more New Yorkers to make a positive contribution to their local community through proper environmental protection practices and to educate other communities based on the success of this program."
The next four collection events will take place in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan. As more events are scheduled, they will be posted at www.nyc.gov/safedisposal. All events are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
- Saturday, April 11: Staten Island, Midland Beach parking lot
- Sunday, April 19: Brooklyn, MCU Park, Surf Ave parking lot
- Saturday, May 2: Bronx, Orchard Beach parking lot
- Saturday, June 20: Queens, Cunningham Park, Ball Field parking lot
- Sunday, June 28: Manhattan, Columbia University/Teachers College, 120th St between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave.