Riverhead sets ‘STOP’ day, offers free disposal of hazardous household wastes

What should you do with those cans with a bit of leftover paint in them? That obsolete cell phone?  The old computer monitor or printer?

For starters, don’t throw them in the trash.

“These items not only have a low level of biodegradability, but they contain materials that are highly toxic when released into the environment,” said Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter. “I encourage all Riverhead Town residents to get a jump on their spring cleaning and to properly dispose of those old computers, paint cans, pesticides and household cleaners as well as medications that are cluttering up your garage and closets and bring them down to the Highway Department’s yard.”

The Town of Riverhead Sanitation Department holds an annual S.T.O.P Day and E-Waste Disposal Day to encourage residents to stop throwing out pollutants and hazardous electronic waste.

This year waste material will be accepted on May 14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Riverhead Highway Department yard located at 1177 Osborn Avenue. The yard is located just north of Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corp’s headquarters.

In conjunction with S.T.O.P. Day, Riverhead CAP’s Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth will hold a ‘Medication Giveback’ from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the same location. This program addresses two vital public safety and health issues. One is that our drinking water is protected from pharmaceutical residue contamination caused by improper disposal of medicine; the other is to prevent substance abuse and medication theft by ridding homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.

For more information on acceptable materials to bring to S.T.O.P. Day or should you have any other questions regarding these programs, call the Sanitation Department at 631-727-3200 ext. 391. Click here to  visit the Sanitation Department’s web page for more information.