WM Changing Program in Calif. County

The state of California has implemented a Universal Waste Ban, statewide, that requires resident and small businesses to dispose of materials such as batteries, cell phones and fluorescent light bulbs at designated facilities. These materials, which contain low levels of hazardous materials, cannot be disposed of in the trash and subsequently deposited into landfills.

The Department of Toxic Substances Control announced the new rules late last month. "Waste Management has been working with its regional government partners for some time to develop consumer friendly options for universal waste disposal," said David Tucker, market area manager for Alameda County. "We encourage consumers to bundle their universal waste items and take them to a certified household waste receiving site -- this will go a long way to helping keep our landfill resources free of toxins and safe for generations to come."

There are several sites in Alameda County that have been designated as hazardous waste receiving sites:

The following locations have been established as places where country residents can deliver these materials:

Oakland,

2100 East 7th St.

Thursday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Wednesday by appointment

tel. 800.606.6606;

Hayward:

2091 West Winton Ave.

Thursday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Wednesday by appointment

800.606.6606

Livermore:

5584 La Ribera Street

Thursday - Saturday 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Wednesday by appointment

800.606.6606

The following is a brief description of the consumer materials covered by the Universal Waste Ban:

-- Common batteries -- AA, AAA, C cells, D cells and button batteries (e.g., hearing aid batteries).

-- Fluorescent tubes and bulbs and other mercury-containing lamps -- fluorescent light tubes and bulbs, high intensity discharge (HID), metal halide, sodium and neon bulbs.

-- Thermostats -- old-style with the sealed glass "tilt switch," which contains mercury (the newer electronic kind are not included).

-- Electronic devices -- televisions and computer monitors (which were already prohibited from household trash), computers, printers, VCRs, cell phones, telephones, radios and microwave ovens.

The following universal waste items have been banned from household disposal for some time:

-- Electrical switches and relays -- mercury switches that can be found in some chest freezers, pre-1972 washing machines, sump pumps, electric space heaters, clothes irons, silent light switches, automobile hood and trunk lights, and ABS brakes.

-- Pilot light sensors -- mercury-containing switches found in some gas appliances such as stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, water heaters, furnaces and space heaters.

-- Mercury gauges -- some gauges, such as barometers, manometers, blood pressure and vacuum gauges, contain mercury.

-- Novelties -- examples include greeting cards that play music when opened, athletic shoes (made before 1997) with flashing lights in soles and mercury maze games.

-- Mercury thermometers -- mercury thermometers typically contain about a half-gram of mercury. Many health clinics, pharmacies and doctor's offices have thermometer exchange programs that will give you a new mercury-free fever thermometer in exchange for your old one.

-- Non-empty aerosol cans that contain hazardous materials -- many products in aerosol cans are toxic and many aerosol cans contain flammables, like butane, as propellants for products like paint. If your aerosol can is labeled with words like TOXIC or FLAMMABLE, don't put it in the trash unless it is completely empty.