A PERMANENT HHW COLLECTION CENTER: THE EXPERIENCE OF THE DALTON-WHITFIELD REGIONAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY

摘要

Solid waste managers across the United States are plagued by the question of what to do with household hazardous waste. Although household hazardous waste does not comprise a significant proportion of the municipal solid waste stream, in many communities, the public demands an alternative to collection and disposal of these materials with municipal solid waste. Yet, few communities have found a cost-effective, convenient way to accomplish this. The Dalton-Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority is responsible for solid waste disposal for over 80,000 residents. This north Georgia county, sometimes referred to as the "Carpet Capital of the World" faced this challenge. After operating semiannual collection days for household hazardous waste over a couple of years, the Authority determined that, although better than nothing, this occasional service was not fully meeting its residents needs. So in 1999, the Authority opened a permanent household hazardous waste collection facility at its landfill.