Paint your community green, then turn in the can
Dallas mobile industrial waste drop-off helps keep hazardous waste out of landfills.
It took a few tries to find out what BOPA stood for, then the third was a charm - read the truck! Batteries, oil, paint, antifreeze. And just like CVS® recently adding "y más" (and more) to their neighborhood stores, there indeed was more to the waste collection event this past Saturday, October 30.
The City of Dallas Department of Sanitation, along with Dallas Love Field Airport, teamed up to create a space for a community cleanup event where local residents could drop off items that should never go into a landfill. Those old paint cans in your shed? Gone. Half used, dusty bottles of motor oil in the garage? Gone. The only work required was gathering items and loading them into your car. The City took care of the rest.
The location this time was the Love Connection #2 parking lot used by the airport off of Harry Hines Boulevard. Near the entrance, signs directed vehicles to a check-in station where you provided your information such as name, address and email, and then declared the items you wanted to get rid of. From there, friendly flag waives directed vehicles to the drop off zones dedicated to certain items. Workers then unloaded the items before sorting them them and then sending you on your way. This was a well-oiled machine (pun intended) and a super easy way to get rid of clutter that happens to do more damage to the environment than it does your garage organization skills. In addition to the BOPA items, the City also accepted small electronics and bulky items like furniture, rugs, mattresses, appliances, and up to 10 tires. Bulk shredding services and donated household cleaning products were made available for free as well.
The mobile events are held periodically so a great way to check is to bookmark the Sanitation web page for future mobile collections. But you don't have to wait for these events to get rid of hazardous household waste (HHW). There is a main collection point for County residents (bring proof) at:
11234 Plano Road, 75243
214-553-1765
Hours of Operation Tuesdays, 9 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Be sure to make note of the items that are not permitted. Remember that each type of waste has a place and all it takes is a little bit of sorting and recognizing items. We went through this when Dallas first started recycling, so think of this as taking it to a whole new level while keeping your community cleaner.
But wait, there's more you can do!
Sanitation also maintains a waste transfer facility where you can take items not accepted at the Plano Road location. This is what makes the mobile events more valuable. They will collect some of what each of the two main facilities can't accept, making it easier on residents.
Confused? Still have questions? You can always dial 3-1-1 or call the numbers listed on the Sanitation web pages.
Credits: Paint Cans photo by David Waschbüsch from Pexels Batteries photo by Hilary Halliwell from Pexels