There are plenty of household hazardous materials like paints, pesticides, solvents and aerosols that can't be disposed of in the trash, or could harm groundwater or the environment if not disposed of properly.

The right place to take them is the Dane County Clean Sweep facility located behind the Dane County Highway Garage, north of the Beltline on Fish Hatchery Road.

Clean Sweep will open Wednesday, May 1, and continue through October. The facility is staffed on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This service is free of charge to all county residents, but is limited to households.

Products accepted include household cleaners containing organic solvents, pesticides, mercury, oil and latex paint and paint-related products, aerosol varnishes and furniture stripper, bleaches, acids, bases, poisons, photographic chemicals, and pool chemicals. For a complete list, call the Clean Sweep Hotline at 294-5366.

Clean Sweep cannot accept cans that are empty, or cans with solidified paint in them. These are considered nonhazardous and can be disposed of in the trash. Empty containers from pesticides and other hazardous materials should be rinsed three times with clear water and then disposed of with your garbage.

Generally, Clean Sweep accepts products that have the word "combustible," "reactive," "flammable," or "corrosive" on the label. For many materials, if they were once a liquid and have now hardened, they can be thrown in the trash because the hazardous components of it have evaporated, unless it is a pesticide or a poison.

Gasoline, kerosene, fuel oil, aerosol cans, LP gas cylinders and driveway sealant are also accepted. Clean Sweep does not accept containers heavier than 50 lbs. or in volumes of more than 5 gallons. Clean Sweep also takes unknown materials, but they will ask that you be able to provide further information about where the product was stored in your home and with what other products it was stored.

Not accepted are ammunition, explosives, medical waste, hypodermic needles, or waste oil and other recyclables. Check your TORC Recycling Guide for more information on the safe disposal of these materials. Fire extinguishers can be taken to Jefferson Fire and Safety in Middleton or Hoffman Chemical on Ann Street near the Clean Sweep facility.

Try Clean Sweep's Product Exchange Service

Sometimes a person is moving or cleaning out a house for someone and doesn't have a need for a wide variety of items such as leftover paints, solvents, pesticides or even driveway sealer. Frequently these products are in excellent shape and perfectly useable by someone else. The Clean Sweep Product Exchange Service provides an opportunity to allow someone else to use these products, or for you to receive someone else's leftovers free of charge.

Drop off or pick up hazardous materials at the Clean Sweep Facility during their regular hours - May through October, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Products typically exchanged include: paint, thinners, strippers, cleaners, pesticides or assorted aerosol products. This program has allowed about 25 percent of what comes into the Clean Sweep facility to be recycled.

For more information about the Product Exchange Service, or tips on how to handle hazardous materials, call 294-5366 for a prerecorded message.

Practice "Precycling" at home

Don't just practice recycling - be a smart consumer and start "precycling." Precycling means choosing your purchases carefully with the environment in mind and saying no to excessive packaging and hard-to-recycle items. Precycling saves money for all of us in the long run and encourages manufacturers to produce more environmentally responsible products. Buying products that last a long time or that can be used over and over is better than throwing things away or even recycling.

Remember - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Copyright © 2005 Town of Oregon, Wisconsin Design: CTF Webservices , Oregon, WI Webmaster: webmaster@town.oregon.wi.us Last Update: November 13, 2005