Press Release

North Oakland Household Hazardous Waste Program Has Record Year

Pontiac, MI, November 1, 2007 -- The North Oakland Household Hazardous Waste (NO HAZ) Consortium finished up the 2007 program with a record-breaking 976 participants at the final collection event on October 20 at the Eagle Valley Recycle and Disposal Facility in Orion Township.  The number of participants in the program for the year as a whole grew by 58%, while the pounds of household hazardous waste collected increased by an astonishing 123%.

NO HAZ is a consortium of 11 Oakland County communities representing 15 local governments that offer residents a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of household hazardous waste. Its goal is to provide residents with a regular, reliable and easily accessible collection service. In five years, residents from almost 9,000 households have participated in the program and over half a million pounds of hazardous materials have been collected and recycled or properly disposed of. 

Items collected at the NO HAZ events include: oil based paints and stains, motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline, kitchen and bath cleaners and polishes, mercury and mercury thermometers, aerosols, pesticides, herbicides and computer and electronic equipment.  Latex paint is not accepted.  Latex paint can be dried to a solid and then thrown out with the trash.  Kitty litter, sawdust or waste paint hardener can be added to speed up this process.  For a more comprehensive list of accepted materials, or for additional disposal information, visit the NO HAZ website at www.nohaz.com, or call the NO HAZ Hotline at 248-858-5656.

Participating communities of the program this year were Addison Township, Commerce Township, Groveland Township, Lake Orion, Leonard, Oakland Township, Orion Township, Oxford, Oxford Township, Pontiac, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Waterford Township, White Lake Township and Wolverine Lake. This is a free service for residents of member communities; however, donations are accepted.

Many communities in southern Oakland County belong to one of two waste authorities: RRRASOC or SOCRRA.  Visit their websites at www.rrrasoc.org or www.socrra.org for additional information.  Residents of other communities should contact their city, village or township office for disposal options.

The NO HAZ Consortium would like to thank the Eagle Valley Recycle & Disposal Facility/Waste Management, Oakland Community College Highland Lakes campus and Best Buy for their support of the program this year.

###