And we try to provide these events to reach people in a convenient way. So, we do what we can and try to get the information out, so that people can bring it to us. We really do require people to look into these and find some of this material themselves. Theo Eggermont: We certainly don't have enough dollars to reach everyone to collect all of this material. Based on the results that you see in your work, are these campaigns effective enough? So, thinking about how that's a hazard for us, you know, there's a lot of those are carcinogens, and we don't want those out in their environment either.ĭavid Fair: The effort at recycling and waste education has been going on for decades. So, you're talking about things like, you know, mercury, strong acid bases, things like metals can also deteriorate and then become part of that leachate and then get taken downstream. And so then, those things can end up in our waterways. But I do know that, from time to time, landfills do leach leachate, and that get out into the environment through an unintended release. And I'm not an expert on, you know, how that gets processed and what can get out. So, as you mentioned, if we throw these things away, they can end up in a landfill, and landfills create leachate, and that is processed. What are the hazards to our air, land and water? And if you're including paper, you know, things like food waste ends up making a lot of that material, and that definitely shouldn't go to landfill either because it can be put back and reused through composting.ĭavid Fair: Some of these materials, when we do landfill them, end up being a hazard and danger to the health of the land and, ultimately, the water because of leachate and things like that. But we definitely know that a lot of what people throw away can either be recycled or can be composted, depending on what you're looking at. Theo Eggermont: I don't have any data on hand that indicates like what percentage of, you know, your typical cart. We do not take medication at the events, but we do have a website set up at don't flush drugs dot com, where you can learn about where to dispose of those properly.ĭavid Fair: How much of the trash that we are sending to the landfills does have items that you just mentioned that could or should be otherwise recycled or disposed of? Theo Eggermont: Yeah, a lot of chemicals. A lot of those things that are under your sink or in your garage.ĭavid Fair: A lot of chemical-based things. So, at our clean-up days, things that we take that shouldn't go in the regular trash, we take things like scrap metal, we take freon appliances, refrigerators, dehumidifiers, and then household hazardous waste. I appreciate it.ĭavid Fair: What kinds of things are we putting in our trash that should not be sent to the landfills? Our guest this morning is Theo Eggermont, and Theo is Washtenaw County's public works director. Not only is it an opportunity to safely get rid of household items that don't belong in landfills, it's an opportunity to learn more about better protecting the health of our environment. I'm David Fair, and welcome to this week's edition of Washtenaw United. Washtenaw County's clean-up days are here. Theo has been with the County since 2018 and has an MBA and MS in Natural Resources and the Environment.ĭavid Fair: This is 89 one WEMU, and we're going to talk about keeping unnecessary and hazardous materials out of our landfills. Theo collaborates with businesses, nonprofits, and local government to reduce waste and keep valuable materials circulating in the economy. Theo Eggermont is the Public Works Director at Washtenaw County. Washtenaw County Clean-Up Days Volunteer Opportunities Washtenaw County Public Works Solid Waste Annual Report 2022 Washtenaw County Medication and Medical Sharps Disposal
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