Whether you are a college student with your own apartment or a commuter living with family nearby, you may have materials that can cause issues when coming in contact with other materials such as cleaning fluids, paint thinner, fluids, etc. that need to be disposed of properly. 

The Bi-County helps with disposing of these materials. This past weekend on Sept. 28, was Montgomery County’s Hazardous Waste Drop Off located at Veterans Plaza, just five minutes away from campus.

The drop off gave Clarksville Montgomery County the opportunity to properly dispose of household items that may cause hazardous issues. While it is for all of Clarksville Montgomery County, it can be a learning opportunity for Austin Peay State University students who may already have a place of their own or for when they do in the future. 

I was able to take the opportunity to talk with Mary Anderson, an assistant director with Bi-County to discuss the importance of these drop offs and their final count. 

“These events are important and beneficial because they keep hazardous materials out of our waste stream,” said Anderson. “When certain household wastes mix they can potentially cause irritants to the respiratory track, ignite and cause other environmental issues.  Therefore, handling these Household Hazards properly is key for safety.” 

Properly disposing household hazards allow everyone to stay safe and the outcome of how many people came to the drop off was great. 

“286 households were represented Saturday. This was a great day considering that it rained most of the day,” Anderson said.

Knowing this information is key to not only upholding human safety, but also keeping the environment safe.