Detox your home for free

The City of Greater Bendigo is hosting a free Detox Your Home service from 9am to 3pm on Saturday August 24 at the Eaglehawk Recovery Yard at the front of the Eaglehawk Landfill Upper California Gully Road to provide residents with an opportunity to safely dispose of common household chemicals without harming their health or the environment.

City of Greater Bendigo Resource Recovery and Education Manager Brooke Pearce said Detox Your Home is the safest way to dispose of unwanted household chemicals that may be stored around homes.

“Household chemicals can be dangerous and Detox your Home is a great opportunity to get rid of potentially dangerous and unwanted chemical products in a safe and environmentally friendly way, Ms Pearce said.

“Residents should always avoid putting chemicals out with their regular rubbish collection where they could explode, ignite, leak or mix with other chemicals. They should also not pour them down the drain where they could pollute waterways and harm animals and vegetation.

“The good news is you can reduce the risk of poison, environmental pollution and bushfire hazards, as well as improve recycling rates, by dropping off your unwanted chemicals.”

Residents may drop off the following items – acids, alkalis, aerosol cans, anti-freeze, brake fluid, car body filler, car wax, ammonia-based cleaning products, cooking oil, coolant, detergents, disinfectants, drain cleaner, fertiliser, fire extinguishers, floor-care products, waxes, fuels such as petrol, diesel, kerosene and others, glues (water-based and solvents), herbicides/ weed killers, insect spray/pesticides, nail polish/ remover, oven cleaner, paint stripper, thinner/turps, pool chemicals, rat poison, solvents, transmission fluid, and wood preservatives and finishes (oils/varnish)

The collected material will be treated and recycled or disposed of safely by a specialist team.

Detox your Home is administered by Sustainability Victoria in partnership with Local Government and is funded by the Victorian landfill levy. The products collected are recycled for recovery and diverted from landfill.

Less toxic items such as paint, household batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and tubes, and gas bottles can be disposed of all year round at the permanent drop-off site at the Eaglehawk Recycle Shop Recovery Yard located on Upper California Gully Road, Eaglehawk.

For more information visit www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/detoxyourhome