WILMINGTON — On Saturday, April 27, Clinton County Solid Waste Management District and the City of Wilmington Stormwater Department teamed up to provide all Clinton County residents an accessible and responsible outlet to dispose of scrap tires, Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) — otherwise known as toxic, corrosive, flammable materials — as well as latex paint.

All of these materials are challenging to properly dispose of since they are highly regulated and/or pose problems by contaminating ground water, according to a news release.

At this event, all Clinton County residents and communities were given the opportunity to recycle scrap tires that may have accumulated over time or been found deposited along roadsides or in public parks. Residents were also provided with the opportunity to responsibly dispose of any Household Hazardous Wastes they might have had.

Items such as used motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides and batteries were collected by trained chemists and properly disposed of before these pollutants could possibly make their way into the environment and storm drains. Latex paint was also collected in an educational campaign to explain that it is not a hazardous or regulated substance. It can be thrown away with standard garbage service provided it has solidified and is no longer a liquid.

Two hundred sixty households and 14 local governments brought in just over 1,600 scrap tires, weighing nearly 24 tons. These tires were then delivered to an area processing facility where they will be recycled into pavers, running tracks, or used for civil engineering and other such purposes.

Clinton County households also brought in just over 15 tons of various HHW. Environmental Enterprises, Inc., a contracted HHW recycler out of Cincinnati, reuses and recycles what they can, and treats/disposes of all remaining materials in an environmentally responsible manner.

A special thanks went out to the Tau Kappa Beta fraternity and Psi Beta Omega sorority from Wilmington College, according to the release. The small group of volunteers representing this fraternity and sorority worked tirelessly to ensure that the public was well served with a smile. The event would not have been as successful without them.

Funding for the tire collection program was provided largely in part by a grant received from the Ohio EPA. The household hazardous waste collection was funded cooperatively by both the Clinton County Solid Waste Management District and the City of Wilmington Stormwater Department. Other organizations supporting the event included:

· Clinton County Engineer/Highway Department

· Clinton County Juvenile Probation Department

· Tau Kappa Beta and Psi Beta Omega from Wilmington College

For information on proper disposal of various items, residents are encouraged to visit www.co.clinton.oh.us/recycling.