The risks associated with improper disposal of hazardous and problem waste in kerbside bins are being brought to light in a targeted campaign to the Hawkesbury community .

With the increasing number of fires occurring in collection trucks and at waste facilities , it is important that residents are disposing of problem and hazardous waste in safe ways to ensure the safety of waste workers and the environment .

The improper disposal of batteries and other hazardous waste materials in kerbside bins places waste collection drivers and their vehicles at risk .

The compaction equipment inside waste collection trucks means there is a significant risk of a fire starting .

The incorrect disposal of problem and hazardous waste can also impact waste facility workers , firefighters and the community in general .

Significant environmental and human health impacts are also a problem , with the potential for harmful chemicals to leach into soil , groundwater and surface water from hazardous waste .

While the most commonly generated household hazardous waste items are batteries , other examples of hazardous or problem waste include fluorescent lights , car batteries , gas bottles , smoke detectors , fire extinguishers , motor oils , cooking oils , paints and paint tins . Community Recycling Centres ( also referred to as CRCs ) across NSW accept these hazardous household items at no cost to residents .

In addition to returning batteries to the Hawkesbury CRC , there are also various dedicated drop-off points for small batteries for sizes ranging from AA to 9V . These dedicated drop-off points include Coles , Woolworths , ALDI , Officeworks , Bunnings , Sydney Tools and many more . For a detailed list of drop-off locations , visit the B-cycle website https :// bcycle . com . au / drop-off

Any items labelled as flammable ’, ‘ combustible ’, ‘ corrosive ’, ‘ toxic ’, an ‘ oxidising agent ’, ‘ poisonous ’ or requiring caution are considered to be hazardous waste items .

Council ’ s Chemical CleanOut event is an annual drop-off event where residents can dispose of additional hazardous waste such as garden chemicals , pool chemicals , household cleaners , hobby chemicals and poisons free of charge .

It is free for residents to drop off up to 20L or 20kg of hazardous waste at any one time . For more details about Council ’ s Chemical CleanOut event see www . hawkesbury . nsw . gov . au / for-residents / waste-andrecycling / special-event-andcleanup-services / household-chemicalcleanout

For details about the Hawkesbury Community Recycling Centre , visit www . hawkesbury . nsw . gov . au / forresidents / waste-and-recycling / waste-managementfacility

For more information on hazardous waste disposal , check out the NSW EPA website www . epa . nsw . gov . au / yourenvironment / waste

Also keep an eye on Council ’ s various social media platforms for more helpful hazardous waste disposal tips .

To learn more about Council ’ s waste services and facilities , visit www . hawkesbury . nsw . gov . au / for-residents / waste-and-recycling or call Council on 4560 4444 .