WESTCHESTER COUNTY COLLECTS MORE THAN 2,690,000 POUNDS OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, AND 140,000,000 POUNDS OF RECYCLABLES IN 2019

Nearly 40,000 households delivered hazardous materials and recycles to the

Household-Material Recovery Facility in 2019

 Nearly 40,000 Westchester County households delivered hazardous materials to the Household-Material Recovery Facility (H-MRF) in Valhalla, or to a Household Recycling Day event in 2019 – leading to the largest number of materials collected and recycled in years. The potentially hazardous materials included: household chemicals, electronics and other special wastes requiring special handling. More than 12,600 pounds of expired and unwanted medications were also safely disposed of at the H-MRF or at local police departments.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “These incredible numbers are due in large part to the expansion of the hours and availability of our H-MRF facility, combined with the Household Recycling Day events that were held in Rye, Yonkers and Yorktown Heights. By providing a safe way for residents to dispose of hard-to-get-rid of wastes and recyclables, we are ensuring a greener future for all of Westchester County.”

The County’s recycling and household hazardous waste collection programs are run by the Department of Environmental Facilities (DEF).

DEF Commissioner Vincent Kopicki said: “The steady stream of residents utilizing the Household-Material Recovery Facility reflects a commendable level of environmental awareness and a devotion to the responsible disposal of unwanted and hazardous materials in a safe and sustainable manner.”

Residents looking to safely destroy confidential and personal documents were able to take advantage of the County’s paper shredding program. Documents collected at the H-MRF, HRD events and mobile shredder events generated 1,775,000 pounds of shredded paper, which was recycled.

The Daniel P. Thomas Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Yonkers also processed more than 140,000,000 pounds of recyclables collected by municipalities in 2019. Despite a worldwide recession that has hit the recyclables market hard over the past two years, the sale of recyclable materials generated revenue of nearly $3,000,000.

Residents looking to dispose of hard-to-get-rid-of household waste can schedule an appointment at the County’s Household Material Recovery Facility located at 15 Woods Road in Valhalla, which is available Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments can be made by calling the Recycling HelpLine at (914) 813-5425 or by visiting http://environment.westchestergov.com/facilities/h-mrf.