The Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management Department will host a household hazardous waste collection open and free for the public on both campuses.
Waste collection will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in Lot B-4 on the Brownsville campus and at the same time May 4 in the Environmental Health & Safety Building on the Edinburg campus.
As previously reported by The Rider, Richard Costello, director of Environmental Health & Safety Risk Management, said it is illegal to dispose of any type of hazardous material, such as oil and batteries, in the trash because it will eventually end up in a landfill and then it gets released to the environment.
Other examples of hazardous materials are cleaning solvents, paint, pesticides and antifreeze.
Matthew Moncus, environmental program manager for the department, said the event is for anyone who wants to get rid of any hazardous waste, “just to make sure that it’s disposed of properly.”
Valderaz said the collection is important because “we’re throwing away things where they’re meant to be thrown away instead of just wherever because it ends up hurting us in the long run.”
Moncus urged the community not to throw away chemicals.
“Keep them safe and then look for other events that may be hosted through the city or the county that are similar to this event throughout the year,” he said.
