According to the EPA, the average household generates more than 20 pounds of household hazardous waste per year.  Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances, or that are corrosive and toxic require special care when you dispose of them.  The EPA has delegated the oversight of hazardous waste in Kentucky to the Division of Waste Management.  The Division provides grants for community household hazardous waste collection events to ensure that certain control and safety measures are taken.  

The Campbell County Extension Agent for Natural Resources and Environmental Management serves on the NKY Solid Waste Management Area’s Household Hazardous Waste Coalition with County Solid Waste Departments, Sanitation District NO. 1, and the City of Florence.  The coalition received a $139,000 grant from the Division in 2018 to conduct a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event on Nov. 3, 2018 at U.C. Health Stadium in Florence, KY. In addition, The Campbell County Extension District Board contributed $5000 to help increase Campbell County participation and volunteerism at the event

Campbell County residents and the farming community identified the need for oil, fuel, and other flammables disposal options at Extension Advisory Council meetings. Forty-four thousand residences were notified about the event through the winter / spring 2018 Edition of What’s Happening in Campbell County.  An Extension news article promoting the event and requesting volunteers, was published in the Campbell County Recorder, with a circulation of 17,000, on Sept. 20, 2018. 

Members of the Household Hazardous Waste Coalition, Extension staff and 184 volunteers from NKY schools and businesses worked at the event (84% increase from previous year).  Participants received educational information about household hazardous waste as they registered.  2693 residents of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton County participated.  Disposal and recycling vendors (Environmental Enterprises, Inc. and Tri State Escrap) reported collecting:

• 128,801 pounds of electronics
• 122,062 pounds of paint
• 19,833 pounds of fuel, anti-freeze, corrosives, and flammables
• 8104 pounds of pesticides
• 3,190 pounds of household cleaners
• 2,521 pounds of dry cell, and Ni Cd batteries

Campbell County participation is up 76% since the Extension Service became involved with the event in 2015.  Seventy-three percent of Campbell County participants disposed of oil, fuel, anti-freeze, corrosives, flammables, and pesticide, directly addressing the needs expressed at Extension Advisory Council meetings.