Tents, tarps, pallets and barrels will be set up this weekend for materials too perilous to discard in household trash cans.

The hazardous wastemobile will be in town and accept materials from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 11 -13 in the Sears parking lot at The Commons mall, 1701 S. 320th St. The event takes place four times annually in the city and is a way for residents to get rid of dangerous materials in a safe manner.

“The whole point of the wastemobile is we want to make it as easy as possible to dispose of hazardous waste,” said Doug Williams, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks spokesman.

Items such as non-alkaline batteries, antifreeze, fluorescent light bulbs, oil-based paints, chlorine bleach and products containing mercury will be accepted. Lawn and garden chemicals and automobile products are commonly dropped off at wastemobile events, Williams said.

“You just kind of see a real mishmash of things — a lot of old paint and gas cans,” he said.

The majority (90 percent) of items taken to the wastemobile are then recycled, said Julie Mitchell, King County Solid Waste Division program manager. Bringing materials to the event, rather than throwing them in the trash or pouring them down the drain, is safer for humans, animals and the environment.

Determining what should go to the wastemobile, and what can be thrown away at home, can be as simple as reading a product’s label, Williams said. Most hazardous materials have labels that tell the buyer how to use and dispose of the product, he said.

Materials that are toxic, flammable, corrosive or reactive are considered hazardous, according to the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County. The words “poison,” “danger,” “warning,” and “caution” tend to indicate a material requires special use and disposal, according to the program’s Web site.

Participants in the wastemobile event are asked not to mix chemicals or drop them off without proper labels. Items ought to be secured so they do not tip over or leak. Also, those participating in the event ought to be prepared to unload their own vehicle at the wastemobile collection site.

Items such as ammunition, fireworks, computers, garbage, latex paint, medical waste, medications, radioactive waste, televisions, tires and alkaline batteries will not be accepted. To learn more about where to safely dispose of these products, visit the King County solid waste division Web site at www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/wdidw/index.asp.

The wastemobile will be in Federal Way again Sept. 26-28.

Contact Jacinda Howard: jhoward@fedwaymirror.com or (253) 925-5565.

To learn more about the event and what is accepted, visit the city’s Web site at www.cityoffederalway.com or the wastemobile Web site at www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/wastemobile/call/. One may also call (206) 296-4692 for more information.

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