Community recycle 3,000kg of toxic chemicals

ALMOST three tonnes of unwanted toxic chemicals were handed in by community members at the Detox Your Home event last month.

The annual Surf Coast Shire led initiative saw 3,000kg of chemicals safely disposed, including the highly toxic Schedule X.

Schedule X pesticide is used to fumigate rabbit warrens, but is being phased out as an approved chemical in Australia.

The chemical was safely wrapped by expert chemists and placed in an airtight container ready for transport to a processing facility in Melbourne.

More common household and garden products were also among those recycled, including flammable liquids, weed killer, inspect sprays, aerosol cans, photographic chemicals and mystery chemicals stored in unmarked bottles and tins.

Surf Coast Shire councillor Liz Pattison thanked the community for their efforts in safely disposing chemicals.

“Thankyou also to Sustainability Victoria for running the event,” she said.

“I know these events take a lot of work to put on, so it’s nice to see so many people playing their part to keep these chemicals out of the waste stream and our waterways.”

All chemicals will now be sorted by chemists in Melbourne and appropriately recovered or disposed.

Acids will be neutralised, flammable liquids are reused as blended fuel and chemically inactive liquids will be treated.

For more information, head to surfcoast.vic.gov.au/otherwaste or download the Surf Coast Rubbish and Recycling App which includes an A-Z recycling and waste guide.