Getting rid of hazardous waste in Grand Junction is not as difficult as you might think.

It's very possible you have hazardous waste items hanging around your residence and property because you aren't exactly sure what to do with them. You may not even be exactly sure what constitutes hazardous waste.

What Is Hazardous Waste?

Hazardous waste includes products that are used for cleaning, home improvements, automobile maintenance, lawn and garden care, and hobbies. There are four categories of hazardous waste.

  • Flammable/Combustible - These are products that easily ignite and burn such as old gasoline, paint thinner, and oil-based paints.
  • Explosive/Reactive - These are products that react with air or water to produce toxic vapors or an explosion, like peroxides and calcium carbide.
  • Corrosive - These are products that can burn your skin or eat away the surface of other materials like caustic cleaners, acids, and toilet bowl cleaners.
  • Toxic - These products can be dangerous even in small quantities and can cause injury or death when inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed into the skin like herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides.

Why Does Hazardous Waste Require Special Elimination?

Hazardous materials are bad for your health and for the environment. These materials can get into storm drains and carry pollution to streams and rivers of Mesa County, and in the process bring harm to aquatic plants, fish, and other natural habitats.

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How Do I Get Rid of My Hazardous Waste?

Hazardous waste should not be included in your regular trash that's picked up every week. It also should not be included in the trash that you take to the landfill. It needs to be disposed of in a special way.

The Mesa County Landfill is equipped to receive hazardous waste on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:15 a.m. You'll see the drop-off location on the left as your enter the landfill grounds, just before you reach the scale. Just pull your vehicle up the building and the staff will come out to help you dispose of your chemical waste.

Zane Mathews
Zane Mathews
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If you have questions about disposing of hazardous waste, call the landfill at 970-241-6846. Disposing of hazardous waste properly is well worth the time and effort required to make it happen.

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