City hosts waste collection event

Pat Kimbrough, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

May 14—HIGH POINT — If you have a garage with old fireworks or boat flares and don't know what to do with them, the city of High Point has the answer.

You can bring these and a slew of other hard-to-dispose-of materials to its free household hazardous waste collection event from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the old water treatment plant site at 1401 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

For the first time, the High Point Police Department will collect old flares, fireworks, broken firearms and ammunition at the event, which is typically held a few times a year.

The last one was in November. Saturday's event was originally scheduled for April but was moved after it was rained out.

The city created the program a few years ago to ensure proper disposal of certain types of household waste not accepted in roll-out carts.

"It's nice to be able to come to a one-stop shop for all of these materials you're not sure what to do with," said Teresa Baker, recycling program coordinator for the city. "There's all kinds of things that show up at a household hazardous waste event."

The typical items that are dropped off by residents include paint, polishes, aerosol cans, motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline, household cleaners, batteries and light bulbs.

The city uses a vendor out of Virginia called MXI Environmental Services that will be on-site to accept and properly dispose of these items.

Residents can also drop off electronics, such as TVs and computers, as well as up to four tires without rims, and Styrofoam/polystyrene.

In addition, the Guilford County Sheriff's Office will have staff at the site to accept expired prescriptions and other medication.

The event is for household materials drop-off only and not for business waste.

Baker said a new traffic pattern will be in place for the event that directs vehicles to enter the site off N. Hoskins Drive instead of E. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

"That way, we won't have any backup of traffic on MLK," Baker said. "It gives us a lot more room to work with and also gives us more space to spread out."