Our mission in this area is to provide residents and communities with the best information possible for making decisions regarding the purchase and disposal of materials that are harmful to the Lakes Region environment.
LRPC works with NH DES and local coordinators to promote purchasing of environmentally friendly products. We also work with these partners a nd private vendors to safely dispose of Household Hazardous Wastes (HHW) as efficiently as possible. For more than 20 years LRPC has coordinated regional HHW collections at various locations in the region. LRPC has also facilitated the development of the Lakes Region Household Product Facility (LRHHPF) in Wolfeboro and is now assisting communities in finding the best means of disposing electronics and medicines.
Download the LRHHPF 2007 Report.
According to an article from Household Hazardous Waste Management News (March 1995), the best attributes of a HHW program include some of the following:
- A comprehensive program with goals for HHW collection, education and toxicity reduction. NHDES also shares this view. Education and ways to reduce HHW in a community are essential
- Be innovative and experimental. LRPC providing volunteers with t-shirts and free snacks for helping publicize or take surveys at the collection is an example. Product exchanges represent another way to experiment with reducing the amount of household hazardous waste that enters the solid waste stream. They also help with increasing participation.
- Involve other public agencies (fire, solid waste, sewer, health, schools, water, etc.) and private firms. Nashua has a close working relationship with the city fire and public works departments.
Operate a facility on a predictable schedule. Consistency and regularity are essential to achieve long-term success.
- Train staff to meet health and safety provisions and proper handling techniques.
- Devote about 10% or more of the budget to education and toxicity reduction.
Human health and safety as well as environmental protection are hallmarks of a permanent household hazardous waste collection center. The Lakes Region Planning Commission advocates for convenient, cost effective management of household hazardous materials for the residents of the Lakes Region. The LRPC believes it is possible to achieve positive results with a combination of a continuous public awareness program, and a household hazardous waste collection center as a supplement to the annual single-day HHW Collection Day.
Scenarios for the development and operation of a HHW Collection Center, including funding, are available for presentation from the LRPC. Please contact us if you are interested in additional information.
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