Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Department of Water Resources Team Up for First HHW Event of 2025 at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds

Lawrenceville, Ga. – January 21, 2025 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines household hazardous waste (HHW) as leftover household products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances or that are corrosive or toxic. Special care should be exercised when disposing of HHW, which first inspired Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources to create Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days to help residents safely rid their homes of HHW. Hosted two times a year, the first Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day of 2025 will take place on Saturday, February 8, from 9 a.m. to noon at Gwinnett County Fairgrounds. Since its launch in 2018, the event has collected 1,066,670 pounds of household hazardous waste for proper disposal. 

“Some of our neighbors don’t realize the dangers of tossing household hazardous waste in their curbside trash bin,” said Schelly Marlatt, Executive Director of Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. “Once dumped in a garbage truck or a landfill, they could explode, catch fire, seep into the soil, and potentially harm sanitation workers. We all must take intentional steps to dispose of them properly. While our HHW events provide an avenue for our neighbors to dispose of their household hazardous waste properly, they can also take steps to start swapping them for more eco-friendly options. There are natural swaps for glass cleaner, furniture polish, silver polish, and even mothballs that are non-toxic. And with more and more companies becoming more environmentally conscious, there are more eco-friendly products on store shelves. The EPA offers an entire webpage devoted to its Safer Choice Program with a list of products deemed Safer Choice-certified. Until then, for that household hazardous waste, our neighbors already have in their homes, we hope to see them February 8!”

Household Hazardous Waste that will be collected during the event includes:

• Aerosol/spray pesticides
• Automotive products (engine degreaser, brake fluid, transmission fluid, antifreeze, etc.)
• Cleaners, corrosives, spot removers, acids and bases
• Aerosol/spray paint
• Auto batteries
• Batteries (household and rechargeable)
• Chlorinated solvents
• Cooking oil and grease
• Fire extinguishers
• Flammables (lighter fluid and waste fuels like kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel, etc.)
• Fluorescent bulbs and ballasts
• Hand sanitizer
• Insecticides
• Latex and water-based paints
• Lawn care products
• Mercury
• Mercury salts and elemental mercury thermometers
• Oil-based paint and stains
• Oxidizers
• Pesticides
• Poisons
• Propane cylinders
• Solvents and varnishes
• Thermostats and other mercury-containing items
• Thinners and paint strippers
• Weed killer
• Wood preservatives

Items that will NOT be accepted include ammunition, radioactive waste, pharmaceuticals, biomedical/biohazard waste, and fireworks. Marlatt has issued a call for volunteers to help collect items from participant’s vehicles, direct traffic, and organize stations to ensure that the event runs smoothly. To register as a volunteer, visit https://cerv.is/0024×4765. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds is located at 2405 Sugarloaf Pkwy in Lawrenceville. Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day attendees are asked to enter the main entrance of the Fairgrounds, which is located off Sugarloaf Parkway at the traffic light. Gwinnett residents can bring up to five containers of household hazardous waste for FREE. Containers should be no larger than a standard laundry basket or file box. Containers will not be returned. 

“We’re expecting big crowds,” added Marlatt. “Traffic will likely get a bit backed up. I promise that we will do our very best to keep the lines moving most expeditiously. My team and I ask attendees to keep in mind that most of the helpers that they’ll see that morning are staff members and volunteers who have given up a part of their Saturday to help their neighbors and do something beautiful for their community. Please be patient, and we’ll get you on your way.”

Questions about the February Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day may be directed to gwinnettcb@gwinnettcb.org or 770-822-5187. To explore the EPA’s list of Safer Choice-certified products, visit https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice. 

About Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful:  Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful Services, Inc. (GC&B) is a Keep America Beautiful affiliate and award-winning 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It boasts an expansive community-based network dedicated to finding long-term solutions to environmental and quality-of-life issues through individual action. The organization is guided by a Citizens Advisory Board that represents all sectors of the Gwinnett County community. A nationally recognized leader in creating cleaner, greener, and more livable communities throughout Gwinnett, GC&B involves more than 100,000 volunteers annually to clean and restore public places, recycle more, protect watersheds, and develop the next generation of environmental stewards. To learn more about Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful and its mission of “Connecting People and Resources for a Sustainable Gwinnett,” please visit www.GwinnettCB.org. The organization invites you to connect with Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful on Facebook (@gwinnettcb), Instagram (@greengwinnett), LinkedIn (@gwinnett-clean-beautiful), and X (@gogreengwinnett).