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Public Service Programs
Clean
Sweep - Hazardous Waste Collection Program  
Program Purpose
Clean Sweep is dedicated to the proper collection and
disposal of "hazardous waste."
What is "Hazardous Waste?" "Hazardous waste" is the unwanted
or unusable portion of a product that contains volatile chemicals
that are ignitable, corrosive, explosive, reactive, toxic or
radioactive. These products can harm the
environment and public health if not disposed of properly.
This means they should not be dumped down the drain or thrown in the
garbage. Determining which products are hazardous is easy -
just read the label! Products that contain volatile
chemicals are generally labeled with one of the following terms:
CAUTION, DANGER, WARNING or POISON.
Next Clean Sweep
Program Collection Event
The next Clean Sweep collection is scheduled Friday and Saturday, October
5 and 6, 2012. The 2012
event will serve households, businesses and institutions. Agricultural
waste items will not be collected.
Collection dates, times and locations (by program type) are shown in
the table below.
Clean Sweep Program Mailing List
Clean Sweep is advertised in all local newspapers three to four
weeks before the program is held. However, some residents may
not see this advertising. If you would like to receive direct
notification of the collection dates, times, and locations please
contact us. We will be happy to add you to the mailing
list. Everyone on the mailing list will receive a personal
letter four to six weeks before the program is held and a brochure
that provides all program information.
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Household Clean Sweep Program Information & Statistics
The Solid Waste Division has sponsored
fifteen Household
Hazardous Waste Clean Sweep programs since 1992. These collections have been successful at removing hazardous
materials from the waste stream. To date, the Household Clean
Sweep has collected over 404,000 pounds of hazardous waste from
8,946 program participants. Clean Sweep program services are
provided free-of-charge to Walworth County households, and
pre-registration is not required.
Agricultural Clean Sweep Program Information & Statistics
Agricultural Chemical Clean Sweep collections have been held in
Walworth County in 1993, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2010. This program has
collected nearly 80,000 pounds of agricultural-related hazardous
waste from 287 participants. Agricultural waste
materials will not be collected in 2012. For more information
about this program please
contact us.
Business Clean Sweep Program Information
The Business Clean Sweep program targets businesses, industries,
municipalities, schools, and service providers that generate less
than 2,205 pounds of hazardous waste annually. They are considered
Very Small Quantity Generators of hazardous waste (VSQG's). A
Business Clean Sweep has been held in conjunction with the household
collection each year since 1997. Business Clean Sweep
program participants pay the disposal cost for their chemicals, but
the cost is significantly less than contracting with a vendor for
this service on an individual basis. The program is simple and
convenient, but pre-registration is required. For more
information or to pre-register please
contact us.
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Examples of Products and Materials Collected
at Clean Sweep Events
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Products Collected
at the
Household Program
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Products Collected
at the VSQG Business Program
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Garage & Workshop Products:
Motor oil, brake and transmission fluid,
carb cleaner, antifreeze, vehicle batteries, battery acid, gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, car
wax with solvent, engine cleaner, parts cleaner.
Home Care & Improvement Products:
Varnish, stain, paint thinner, paint stripper,
adhesives, rust remover, turpentine, mineral
spirits, oil and lead based paint and primer, paints with additives
(such as a water preservative), solvent-based metal polish,
ant and roach killer, rat and mouse poison.
Garden & Landscape Products:
Insecticide and insect repellant, weed killer, pet spray and dip,
garden fungicides, slug poison, wood preservative, and
banned pesticides.
Other Waste Materials:
Rechargeable batteries, fluorescent bulbs and other
bulbs that contain mercury; mercury thermostats, mercury
fever thermometers, pool chemicals, lighter fluid and
pharmaceutical items.
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Common Hazardous
Materials:
Rechargeable batteries, ballasts, capacitors, fluorescent
bulbs, thermostat switches, and other items that contain
mercury.
Common Industrial Chemicals:
Solvents, adhesives, fuels, lubricants, pesticides,
cleaning chemicals, degreasers, paint wastes, contaminated
absorbents, other contaminated products.
The VSQG Business program is simple and convenient, but
pre-registration by all interested participants is required.
For more information, or to pre-register for this program
please
contact us .
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Please Note: Latex paint is not accepted at Clean Sweep
because it is a water-based product and is NOT
"hazardous." Latex paint is a liquid waste that must be
disposed of properly. Latex paint can be evaporated, and once
it is hard and dry it may be placed in the regular
trash.
Instructions for drying Latex paint can be found on the
Public Information Services page. |
Pharmaceutical Items:
Outdated and unwanted prescription drugs and
over-the-counter items will be accepted for safe disposal from
household residents at the 2012 Household Clean Sweep
program. Acceptable items include: pills, capsules,
syrups, liquids, salves, creams, inhalers and vet/pet meds.
The program
does not accept: radioactive items, oxygen tanks,
nebulizers, sharps/needles, cosmetics/beauty products.
A
list of sharps collection locations in Walworth County can
be found in a table in the "Sharps Collection Program"
section of this page. |
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2012 Clean Sweep Collection
Dates, Times, and Locations:
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Program Type:
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Collection Locations:
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Collection Date
& Time:
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Household
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Site #1
Town of Linn
Municipal Garage
N611 Zenda Rd
Zenda |
Friday, October
5
from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
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| Household |
Site #2
City of Whitewater
Public Works Complex
150 East Starin Rd
Whitewater |
Friday, October
5
from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
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| Household |
Site #3
Walworth County
Public Works Department
2 miles east of the
City of Elkhorn at
W4097 County Road NN |
Saturday,
October 6
from 8:00 a.m. to Noon
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VSQG Business & Institution
Pre-registration is required before waste materials can
be accepted from these groups.
Contact the Solid Waste Division for more information,
or to pre-register.
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Walworth County
Public Works Department
2 miles east of the
City of Elkhorn at
W4097 County Road NN
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Friday, October 5
from 9:00 a.m. to Noon
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Rechargeable Battery
and Cell Phone Recycling Program
The Solid Waste Division of the Walworth County Public Works
Department has partnered with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling
Corporation (RBRC) to collect old cell phones and spent rechargeable
batteries from Walworth County residents on an ongoing basis.
What is the RBRC? RBRC is a nonprofit
public service organization funded by the rechargeable power
industry. The organization's goal is to divert cell phones and
small rechargeable batteries from the solid waste stream.
Items Collected:
1. Cell phones
Any kind regardless of condition or age
2. Rechargeable Batteries:
The following types of rechargeable
batteries are collected by this program:
Nickel Cadmium (NiCad)
Lithium Ion (Li-ion)
Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)
Small Sealed Lead (Pb) - that weigh 11 pounds or less
Small dry cell portable rechargeable batteries are
commonly found in cordless power tools, cellular and cordless
phones, laptop computers, camcorders, two-way radios, and remote
control toys. This program does not accept alkaline,
non-rechargeable, or rechargeable wet cell batteries.
Drop off Location: Cell phones and spent
rechargeable batteries may be dropped off to Solid Waste Division
staff located at the Walworth County Public Works Department, W4097
County Road NN, Elkhorn.
For further information, about this collection
program please
contact us. For further information about the RBRC please
visit their web site at:
www.rbrc.org.
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 Sharps
Collection Program
Wisconsin was among the first states in the nation to actively
promote sharps collection.
Why This Program is
Needed. Since 1994, Wisconsin law has required that sharps
(syringes, needles, lancets) be separated from general household
trash, and rendered noninfectious and unusable before being placed
in a landfill.
Who may Participate?
Sharps collection services are available to household residents who
administer their own insulin or other injectable medications,
schools, group homes, farms, and others in Walworth County who
generate a small amount of sharps.
What to Put in Sharps
Containers. Only used hypodermic needles, lancets, and
syringes with attached needles. Gauze, cotton swabs, and
other medical wastes should not be placed in the container.
General Notes About
Sharps Containers
1) A sharps container is made of red, rigid plastic and
has a locking lid to safely hold used sharps for disposal.
2) Follow all directions provided with the container, taking
care not to overfill it.
3) When the container is full, close or cap the opening as
directed. The lid is designed to lock when closed tightly. After the lid is locked, you will not be able to reopen it.
4) Take full container to one of the sharps collection
locations listed below. It is illegal to put this container in the trash.
Sharps Collection Locations in
Walworth County:
Location Name
Address
Phone Number
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Program
Overview and Charges for Services |
- Aurora Pharmacy - Elkhorn
W3985 County Road NN
(At Aurora Lakeland Medical Center)
262-741-2311
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Aurora Pharmacy Customers (Those who
have their prescriptions filled at an Aurora Pharmacy)
Aurora Pharmacy customers purchase the first sharps
container to begin the program. The standard container is
1.5 quarts in size and costs $2.19*. (If the customer
wants a larger sharps container they need to pay the
difference in price.) When the container is full they
may drop it off at the pharmacy free-of-charge. A new
standard sharps container will be provided FREE-OF-CHARGE in exchange for
the full container.
Non-Aurora Pharmacy Customers (Those
who do not have their prescriptions filled at an Aurora
Pharmacy) Non-Aurora Pharmacy customers purchase
the first sharps container to begin the program. The
standard container is 1.5 quarts in size and costs $2.19*.
(If the participant wants a larger sharps container they
need to pay the difference in price.) When the
container is full, the participant may drop it off at the
pharmacy. A $5.00 disposal fee will be charged.
A new standard sharps container will be provided
FREE-OF-CHARGE in
exchange for the full sharps container.
*$2.19 was
the cost for the standard container on 10-19-09.
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- Aurora Pharmacy - Lake Geneva
146 E Geneva Square
262-248-4630
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- Aurora Pharmacy - Walworth
445 S Main St
(Next to the Aurora Clinic)
262-275-0936
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- Mercy
Walworth Pharmacy
Located at the intersection of Highways 50
and 67
(One mile north of Williams Bay)
262-245-2319
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Information about Mercy
Health System's sharps collection program can be found at
their web site at:
http://www.mercyhealthsystem.org/documents/Pharmacy/sharps.pdf
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Has Sharps Collection Made a
Difference? In areas where sharps are collected people
report that fewer sharps are seen in the environment and waste
handlers experience fewer injuries.
Where to Find out More About
Sharps Collection. You can find more information on the medical
waste pages of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources web
site at.
Managing household medical sharps - Wisconsin DNR
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Mercury Thermostat
Recycling Program
The Solid Waste Division of the
Walworth County Public Works Department has partnered with the
Thermostat Recycling Corporation (TRC) to collect out-of-service
wall-mounted mercury thermostats from Walworth County residents on
an ongoing basis.
What is the TRC? The TRC is a
not-for-profit corporation established in 1998 by three major
mercury switch thermostat manufacturers, Honeywell, White Rodgers
and General Electric, to recycle out-of-service wall-mounted mercury
switch thermostats.
Items Collected:
All brands of wall-mounted thermostats with glass tube
mercury switches are collected.
Homeowners should bring in the entire
thermostat since it provides protection for the mercury bulb.
Drop off Location: Wall-mounted thermostats may be dropped off
to Solid Waste Division staff by appointment at the Walworth County
Public Works Department, W4097 County Road NN, Elkhorn.
For further information about this collection
program or to drop off a thermostat please contact us. For further information about the TRC please
visit their web site at:
http://www.nema.org/gov/ehs/trc/
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