Have you done some spring cleaning of your home or cabin recently in the Truckee/Lake Tahoe area and are wondering what to do with the accumulated waste? There’s good news for you! This Saturday, June 20th there will be a FREE drop-off event for hazardous waste.
Saturday’s event includes the collection of batteries, paint, cleaners, medications, motor oil & filters and pesticides. It will take place at the Eastern Regional Materials Recovery Facility at 900 Cabin Creek Road, off of Hwy 89 South, between Truckee and Squaw Valley. The facility will be open from 8am – 4pm. For questions and appointments for drop off, call 530-583-7800. All customers must make an appointment to participate in the hazardous waste event so that we can assign personnel to meet customer demand safely and quickly. The program is free to qualifying residents (with certain restrictions on material types, weights, and volumes). Businesses can drop off on Friday the 19th, if necessary, with some additional fees applicable for doing so.
Hazardous wastes, including universal- and e-waste, are products that contain components or chemicals considered hazardous to the environment and animal life (including humans) and are thus prohibited from entering the general waste stream. If carelessly discarded, such items may contaminate our air, water, wildlife and land. Additionally, placing hazardous waste in the trash poses a risk to the waste handler. So alternatives are made available for customers to divert such products from landfills and waste processing facilities.
Just a note, Truckee residents may also place household batteries curbside for collection on their service day. For easy identification, batteries must be contained in a ziplock bag, and placed on top of the garbage can lid.
Green waste can be dropped off at the same facility Monday through Saturday from now through October 31st. Green waste includes tree limbs, pine cones and needles, brush and bark, dry grass & leaves and yard trimmings. Eliminating green waste from your property is crucial to maintaining proper defensible space around your home in case of wild fire. Many communities, such as Tahoe Donner and Serene Lakes, mandate, or at the very least strongly encourage, defensible space perimeters be in place for all homes in their community.
The maximum load for any one drop-off is 6 yards, which is about 40 large plastic bags. The facility asks that you tarp your load to prevent losing much of it along the road before you reach facility. When dropping off, please present proof of residence for either Placer or Nevada Counties.
Great information about the services provided by Tahoe Truckee Sierra Disposal can be found at their website.
