A public collection for hazardous household waste on Saturday far surpassed expectations and capacity, bringing in more than 22,000 pounds of waste from 315 residents, according to the Clark County Environmental Services Department.
The 22,419-pound haul was about three times what such events typically collect, said Jim Mansfield, a Clark County sustainability specialist. Organizers had to turn people away on Saturday, he said.
“We were definitely overwhelmed,” Mansfield said.
Hazardous waste collection events invite residents to drop off unwanted household materials for proper disposal. Those include paints, pesticides, cleaners, solvents, motor oil, batteries and other items. Saturday’s event at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center also accepted block foam and some electronics.
The east Vancouver location may have helped an area not served by past events and the county’s three transfer stations, Mansfield said. Organizers will consider staging another collection at Fisher’s Landing due to Saturday’s huge turnout, he said.