Clean Out Your Garage: Household Recycling Day is Saturday at Playland
Westchester County’s Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF) will be conducting a Household Recycling Day (HRD) event on Saturday, November 14th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Playland Park in Rye (in the parking lot – you won’t be able to miss it). This is a great reason to clean out your garage, back basement and under the kitchen sink and safely dispose of nasty chemicals and other things you should never (ever!) be putting in your normal curbside garbage.
New COVID-19 precautions are in place to allow DEF to once again host these events for County residents. Residents are asked to place items in their trunk or hatchback, remain in their vehicles, and wear masks while in the drop-off area.
In 2019, DEF hosted four HRD Events throughout the County and residents delivered more than 307,000 pounds of household waste and 91,000 pounds of documents for shredding.
In addition to properly labelled household chemicals, tires, scrap metal, electronics, appliances, and other special wastes found in a typical household, residents can bring documents for shredding and expired or unwanted medications for disposal to the November 14th HRD Event.
Generally, the following items are accepted for safe disposal or recycling:
- Properly labelled household chemicals, such as:
- Household cleaning products
- Most automotive fluids (antifreeze, brake fluid, gasoline, but not motor oil)
- Flammable liquids (kerosene, butane, lighter fluid, turpentine)
- Metal, jewelry, and furniture polishes and waxes; wood preservatives
- Fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides
- Photographic and swimming pool chemicals
- Batteries – only vehicle, rechargeable, or button cell
- Fluorescent light bulbs & CFLs
- Fire extinguishers
- BBQ propane tanks (up to 20 lbs.)
- Mercury containing devices (thermometers and thermostats)
- Electronic waste (TVs, computer monitors and towers)
- Expired or unwanted medications, both OTC and prescription
- Personal documents for shredding (limit of four (4) file-size boxes per household)
- Tires
Items that will not be accepted and should not be brought to the Household Recycling Day include paint (both latex and oil), non-rechargeable alkaline and carbon zinc batteries (they can be safely discarded in the trash), motor oil, smoke detectors, cell phones, explosives (flares, fireworks, ammunition), construction debris and hypodermic needles. Also, waste from businesses, schools, or other institutions will not be accepted.
The City of Rye will simultaneously be hosting its annual Zero Waste Day. Several non-profit and charity organizations will be on hand to collect additional items from residents:
- Furniture Sharehouse: gently-used furniture- please see details on their website
- Mount Vernon Animal Shelter: pet food, bedding and towels
- Linking Handlebars: gently-used bicycles
- Rye Kicks It Forward: soccer gear
- Rye City Lions Club: prescription eyeglasses
For more information on what to bring to this event, visit www.westchestergov.com/recycling or call (914) 813-5425.
If you are unable to attend the HRD Event, you can still dispose of your hard-to-get-rid-of household waste by making a convenient appointment for the County’s Household-Material Recycling Facility (H-MRF), 15 Woods Road, Valhalla. The H-MRF is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment, and accepts the same items that are accepted at the HRD events. For more information about the H-MRF or to make an appointment, visit https://environment.westchestergov.com/facilities/h-mrf or call (914) 813-5425.
