CALABASAS : 1-Day Collection of Toxic Wastes Slated

Homeowners who have been searching for an environmentally safe way to dispose of household hazardous wastes now have a solution: Los Angeles County has set up a collection center in Malibu that will be open for one day only.

The free collection will be held Dec. 3 at the Malibu Civic Center at 23519 W. Civic Center Way, said Susan Zulusky, recycling coordinator for the city of Calabasas. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day and will not be restricted to Malibu residents.

“A lot of people have a lot of old containers of insecticides and paints hanging around their garages and they don’t know what to do with it,” said Zulusky. “This is a good way to get rid of it.”

The center will accept up to a five-gallon container, or 50 pounds of hazardous waste, she said. Those limits are based on a state law that prohibits motorists from transporting more than that in their vehicles, she said.

The center will accept such wastes as used motor oil, cleaners containing acids or lye, paint, car batteries, pesticides and garden herbicides and chemicals from hobby and art projects, she said. About 90% of the waste brought to the center will be recycled.

The one-day collection drive is part of a countywide collection program held in various cities throughout the year, said Kathi Delegal, a spokeswoman for the Waste Management Division of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Anyone who wants information about collection schedules can call (800) 552-5218.

Since the county program began in 1988, more than 116,000 people have legally disposed of more than 1 million gallons of household hazardous waste, said Delegal. More than half of that was paint, she said. More than 230,000 gallons of motor oil was collected during that period.

The collections are designed to prevent people from dumping the wastes down sewers or into the ground, Delegal said. Wastes poured down sewer drains often end up in the ocean, while wastes poured into the ground can pollute ground water supplies.

Delegal also suggested giving some of the wastes to someone who needs them.

“Look around, there might be church groups or other organizations that need this stuff,” she said.

She also urged homeowners to check labels to see if wastes can be used for other purposes around the home.