Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) in conjunction with Clean City Newport will host a special collection of household hazardous waste (HHW) and electronic waste on Saturday, October 1from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Easton’s Beach. This special event is available free of charge to Rhode Island residents only. To help reduce time spent in line, appointments should be made in advance for household hazardous waste. Appointments are not required for residential electronic waste collection.
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. Since its inception, Resource Recovery has collected approximately 10.6 million pounds of household hazardous waste and served more than 148,000 Rhode Islanders. With numerous collection dates and events held at several municipal locations throughout the state, Rhode Island’s Eco-Depot program is unlike any other household hazardous waste collection in the country. During last year’s Eco-Depot collection in Newport, residents dropped off a whopping 12.8 tons of household hazardous waste.
Only devices covered under Rhode Island’s electronic waste law will be collected at this event. Covered products are computers (monitors, computer towers, laptops and tablets) and televisions. No other electronic items will be accepted duringSaturday’s collection.
“The Eco-Depot is a wonderful free service for RI residents,” said Maureen McManus, Newport’s Clean City Program Coordinator. “We hope Newport residents take full advantage of this outstanding opportunity to safely dispose of electronic and household hazardous waste at the Beach!”
Many common household items are actually household hazardous waste materials that should not be collected through Rhode Island’s standard trash and recycling collection services. These materials include: fluorescent light bulbs, 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, please visit www.ecodepotri.org.
This upcoming collection in Newport is one of 46 Eco-Depot collections RIRRC will provide throughout the state in 2016. To make an appointment for the collection or to view the entire 2016 Eco-Depot schedule, visit www.ecodepotri.org or call 401-942-1430 x241. Rhode Islanders may make an appointment for any Eco-Depot event that fits their schedule.
