Hazardous Waste Topics
Home Depot Collects Compact Flourescent Light Bulbs
The Home Depot has started collecting expired, unbroken, compact, fluorescent bulbs at the returns counter at any store. See store listings below:
- 127 Acton Circle
- 795 Fairview Road
Flourescent and Compact Flourescent Light Bulb Recycling Program
Residents can drop off used compact (CFL) and regular fluorescent light bulbs at any of the following participating municipal and volunteer fire departments:
- Beaverdam - 450 Beaverdam Road
- Black Mountain - 106 Montreat Road
- Enka-Candler - 85 Pisgah Highway
- Fairview VFD - 1586 Charlotte Highway
- Reems Creek - 730 Reems Creek Road
- Reynolds - 235 Charlotte Highway
- Riceville - 2251 Riceville Road
- Skyland - 9 Miller Road
- Swannanoa - 103 South Avenue
- Weaverville - 3 Monticello Road
City of Asheville Fire Departments
- Station 2 on Livingston Street - 415 S French Broad Avenue
- Station 11 at - 7 Rocky Ridge Road near Biltmore Square Mall
Bulbs from businesses or schools are not accepted at the above locations.
If you have broken fluorescent lamps they are also accepted.
- Please note: If any of your bulbs are broken please sweep up the contents. Do not use a vacuum cleaner. It will spread vapors and contaminate the vacuum. Place the contents in a ziplock bag, wipe area with a wet paper towel or cloth and bring it to the Fire Station.
- Please make sure the broken bulb and towel are sealed in the plastic bag when brought into the fire station. Ventilate the room where the lamp was broken.
- The mercury is released when the unit is broken. It is released as a vapor and there will be very little left in the powder.
- 100% of these lamps are recycled.
This program brings a much needed solution to the growing problem of safe disposal of these energy efficient bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury, a poison that can devastate any environment where it accumulates. The lifespan of a CFL can be up to 10 times longer than a regular bulb, but they will go out. When they do, citizens are asked NOT to put them into the garbage. They should be properly recycled to prevent mercury inside the bulb from leaking into the groundwater.
With the new program sponsored by the county, citizens can easily dispose of these bulbs with a simple trip to their local volunteer fire department. The Volunteer Fire Department will have them properly recycled.
Based on recent Energy Star statistics, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an energy efficient CFL, enough energy would be saved to light more than 3 million homes for one year and save in excess of $600 million in annual energy costs.
If every county citizen would replace just one light bulb with a CFL, the savings would be around $3 million in energy cost savings over the life of the bulb.
For more information about the recycling program, contact Buncombe County (828) 250-5460.
Household Hazardous Waste
Buncombe County holds household hazardous waste collection days each Friday at the landfill on Panther Branch Road between the hours of 9 a.m.-3 p.m.For detailed information about disposal guidelines for hazardous waste, visit Buncombe County's Solid Waste website or contact Buncombe County at (828) 250-5462.
Paint
Before beginning a project requiring the use of paint, consider the following:
- Buy only what you need.
- Use it up.
- Use less hazardous alternatives.
- Use care when disposing of paint and paint cans.
Make sure paint cans are empty or dried out, or they will not be collected with household trash. Dry water-based paint by mixing it with kitty litter or sand. Dry oil-based paint by mixing it with cement. Place cans in a plastic bag with the lids off and place with regular trash. Empty or dried out paint cans can be disposed at the Buncombe County Transfer Station or the Buncombe County Landfill. For detailed information about disposal guidelines for paint, visit Buncombe County's Solid Waste website or contact Buncombe County at (828) 250-5462.
Car Batteries
Car batteries will not be collected with household trash. Many stores accept old car batteries when you purchase a new one, and some may offer discounts. For detailed information about disposal guidelines for car batteries, visit Buncombe County's Solid Waste website or contact Buncombe County at (828) 250-5462.
Household Batteries
Buy rechargeable household batteries. For recycling locations for household batteries in Asheville, visit earth911.com or call the Call to Recycle Helpline at 1-800-822-8837. Also, many electronic stores will also accept batteries for recycling. Check with your local retailers for details.
Motor Oil
The City of Asheville does not collect used motor oil with regular household trash. If you change your own oil, you must take the used oil to an approved collection site. Most garages and auto parts stores accept used oil for recycling. For detailed information about disposal guidelines for used motor oil, visit Buncombe County's Solid Waste website or contact Buncombe County at (828) 250-5462.
We all live downstream. It is both ILLEGAL and DANGEROUS to dump used oil into sewers, septic tanks, drainage systems or any body of water. Storm sewers discharge directly into streams, so NEVER dump oil in them.
Sharps Disposal Guide
Many people use needles, lancets and other "sharps" as part of their daily home medical treatment. After use, these items should never be placed into the trash or your recycling bin. Trash collectors, workers at disposal facilities and employees at recycling centers can be injured on improperly disposed sharps. To minimize risks to these workers and to offer residents with special needs safe disposal alternatives, Buncombe County provides free sharps disposal for residents. At home, please place used needles in a sturdy plastic container with a screw-on cap, such as an empty laundry detergent jug. When your sharps container is full, take it to the Buncombe County Transfer Station at 190 Hominy Creek Rd.