NEWTON, Kan. — Harvey County residents can now take advantage of a new program offering secondhand household hazardous waste (HHW) products for reuse through Harvey County Solid Waste.
The HHW Reuse program allows residents to take previously-used items – such as paint, wood stains, automotive cleaners and home cleaning products – for their own needs.
The products are available at no cost to the consumer. There is no limit to the quantity taken.
“Household hazardous waste is one of the bigger expenses to the solid waste industry. It’s a program that’s expensive to get rid of the material,” Harvey County Solid Waste Superintendent Justin Bland said. “This is a significant savings for the county, and on top of that, we’re getting to put this good product that is reusable back into other people’s hands.”
Harvey County operates a Household and Small Quantity Generator Hazardous Waste program, which allows residents to safely discard a wide range of materials that should not be placed in the regular waste stream, at no charge.
Previously, those items were not made available for reuse. Now, properly-labeled items that are eligible for the reuse program will be shared back into the community.
Implementing the reuse program cuts expenses by reducing the amount of HHW that must be processed and shipped, provides a benefit back to consumers, and raises awareness of the correct and safe way to dispose of the products.
Harvey County spent $15,721 to dispose of HHW materials in 2020.
The HHW Reuse program is self-service. Visitors must check in at the scale house of the Harvey County Transfer Station, where they will be directed to the reuse facility. Visitors will write down their name, city of residence and log any materials taken out on a sign-in sheet.
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