Veolia supports one of world’s largest household hazardous waste events
Already one of the world’s largest events of its kind, the NYC SAFE(Solvents, Automotive, Flammables and Electronics) Disposal events, administered by the New York City Department of Sanitation, will now double in size to ten events per year. This year’s events kick off was on Saturday, April 11, at Midland Beach Park in Staten Island.
New York City Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia encourages residents to drop off potentially harmful household products for proper recycling and disposal. “NYC residents should bring items such as pesticides, strong cleaners, mercury thermostats, paint, motor oil, electronics and medications to this year’s SAFE Disposal events,” said Garcia. “This year, with more events in more neighborhoods, we’re hoping to expand the opportunity for New Yorkers to safely and conveniently dispose of harmful materials.”
2016 marks the fifth year Veolia provided waste services for the New York City Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY) NYC SAFE Disposal events. Harmful household products collected in each of New York City’s boroughs will be recycled or sent to one of Veolia’s fully permitted hazardous waste treatment facilities.
As part of its mission to ‘Resource the World,’ Veolia aims to develop access to resources, preserve available resources and replenish those resources through its service offerings. The majority of materials collected during the NYC SAFE Disposal events will be recycled, recovered, or reclaimed. To the fullest extent possible, liquid wastes such as paint will be blended for fuel and energy recovery. Small amounts that cannot be recovered will be incinerated under strict environmental regulations.
“We’ve been assisting DSNY with their NYC SAFE Disposal events since 2012, having collected over 1,279,000 pounds of materials since that time, and we are honored to bring our expertise to the service of New York City again in an effort to intercept harmful substances from landfills,” said Steve Hopper, president and chief operating officer of Veolia North America’s Industrial Business. “With the increased number of events, we’re hoping to aid even more New Yorkers to make a positive contribution to their local community through proper environmental protection practices and to educate other communities based on the success of this program.”
For more information on the NYC SAFE Disposal events, visit www.nyc.gov/safedisposal.