Santa Ynez Valley hazardous waste and electronics collections event April 2

Staff Report

With spring upon us, it’s a great time to clean up around the house. Maybe you have some old paint cans in the garage or used motor oil in the back shed. Drop them off at Santa Barbara County’s next Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collection event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 2 at the Santa Ynez Valley Recycling and Transfer Station, located at 4004 Foxen Canyon Road in Los Olivos. The collection event is available to residents in the unincorporated area of the county and the City of Solvang. There is no charge to participate.

Acceptable items include automotive fluids, cleaners, paint, pesticides, fluorescent tubes, and batteries. Residents can also bring unwanted electronics like computers, TVs, cell phones, printers, stereos, CDs, DVDs, and video and cassette tapes. Other acceptable items include unwanted household medications and home-generated “sharps” (e.g. needles and syringes). Sharps must be delivered in rigid, puncture-proof containers. Controlled substances, such as narcotics and some prescription medications, will not be accepted and should instead be disposed of at an Operation Medicine Cabinet drop-off location. For a list of these locations visit www.lessismore.org.

The County offers free hazardous waste collection events twice a year in the Santa Ynez Valley. County residents can also recycle their antifreeze, automotive batteries, motor oil, oil filters, and latex paint at the County’s Antifreeze, Batteries, Oil, and Paint (ABOP) Facility. This facility is located at the Santa Ynez Valley Recycling and Transfer Station and is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Every County transfer station accepts electronic waste from residents year-round during normal operating hours for free. For those living in other areas of the county, numerous collection centers are available countywide. Some are operated by the County Public Works Department, while others are run by local cities or private waste management companies.

For more information about local hazardous waste collection programs, call 882-3615 or visit the County’s recycling website, www.LessIsMore.org.