Editor, Townsman:
This weekend Andover is holding its spring Household Hazardous Waste collection event at West Elementary School. Recent collections have suffered from long, slow lines, so here are a few suggestions to keep things moving.
1) Sort your paint at home and do not bring latex paint. Latex paint is not hazardous; its only flaw is that it may still be liquid. To speed up drying out any excess, add a cup or more of kitty litter or buy waste latex paint hardener from a paint retailer. Once solidified, paint can be put into the regular trash. Leave the cans clearly separate from the trash with the lids off, showing that there is no liquid paint left.
2) If you have only a few items, combine efforts with neighbors to bring up to 25 gallons of liquids.
3) Utilize retail return opportunities by taking items such as:
— dead compact fluorescent lights to Rocky's Ace Hardware in North Andover;
— used motor oil to auto supply stores in Massachusetts;
— old rechargeable batteries (all types) to Radio Shack in Shawsheen Plaza; and
— unopened cans of paint back to the paint store (Home Depot will take "mistints" and other retailers will usually take back unopened cans of standard colors).
Candy Dann
4 Rock O'Dundee Road
for Andover Recycling Committee
