The Arlington Environmental Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE) is back this weekend, providing residents the chance to get rid of unwanted paint, pesticides, and printer ink lying around the house.
The biannual E-CARE’s fall rendition is set to take place this Saturday (Oct. 8) at Wakefield High School from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Arlington residents will be able to drop off for safe disposal a host of household hazardous materials, outdated electronics (including old-school cathode ray televisions), and items containing mercury.
However, small metal items and bikes will not be accepted this time around in order to “streamline traffic flow.”
Saturday, Oct. 8: Fall E-CARE at Wakefield HS. Gather up the old household goop and gadgets for convenient, safe drop-off. https://t.co/cBmpLnf0sE pic.twitter.com/vNUvfRTsl9
— Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES) September 29, 2022
Below is the list of accepted items:
- Automotive fluids
- Batteries
- Car care products
- Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)
- Corrosives (acids/caustics)
- Fire extinguishers
- Flammable solvents
- Fluorescent tubes
- Fuels/petroleum products
- Household cleaners
- Lawn and garden chemicals
- Mercury
- Paint products (25-can limit)
- Photographic chemicals
- Poisons (pesticides)
- Printer ink/toner cartridges
- Propane gas cylinders (small hand-held or larger)
- Swimming pool chemicals
Electronics like computers, printers, keyboards, scanners, copiers, cellphones, and televisions can also be dropped off, though those can also be picked up curbside with an online request.
Old-school tube televisions and computer monitors containing a cathode ray will be accepted but come with a $15 or $20 fee.
Items containing mercury like thermostats, thermometers, and barometers will be collected as well.
Things that will not be accepted include:
- Asbestos
- Explosives and ammunition
- Freon
- Medical wastes
- Prescription medications
- Radioactive materials
- Smoke detectors
This will be the first time this event is being held at Wakefield. The county is asking residents to enter via S. Columbus Street at George Mason Drive and drive around the school to the E-CARE site on S. Dinwiddie Street.
The county provided a few other tips including reminding locals that the event is only open to county residents so bring identification or a utility bill and pack cars in reverse order of drop off with electronics going in first and hazardous materials after.
The last E-CARE was held in April at Yorktown High School. At the two events in 2021, a combined 170,000 pounds of household hazardous materials were collected.