FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS: Carole Trottere, Rebecca Cheng, Sam Marksheid, and Vicki DiStefano | (516) 869-7794
Town Hosts Third S.T.O.P. Program of 2016
North Hempstead, NY – Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth is proud to announce the third Stop Throwing Out Pollutants (S.T.O.P.) program of 2016 will be held Sunday, June 26 at Westbury High School from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. The first S.T.O.P. event of the year had over 1,300 attendees with collected over 2,000 pounds of pharmaceuticals!
The S.T.O.P. program offers Town of North Hempstead residents the opportunity to dispose of dangerous and chemical waste that is too dangerous to dispose of with routine curbside pickups. Residents can return items such as aerosols, household chemicals, pesticides, disinfectants, fertilizers, bulbs, thermostats, rechargeable and lithium batteries, TV’s and computers. Latex and water-based paints, once dried out (usually 24-36 hours after the lid is removed) can be placed in a trash bag and thrown out with your regular household garbage. Latex and water-based paints will not be accepted at the S.T.O.P. collection site. Oil-based paints, on the other hand, are considered hazardous, and will be accepted at any S.T.O.P. Collection Day program.
Residents may also bring their sensitive documents to the S.T.O.P. event for proper shredding and destruction to prevent identity theft. Any documents brought will be shredded on site by a document shredding company and then transported to a pulping mill for recycling. There is a limit of 6 “Bankers Box” sized boxes or bags of paper per car, per event. Once the documents are shredded, they will be placed into containers and sent directly to pulping mills. Every 2,000 pounds of paper the Town recycles equates to seventeen trees saved.
The Town of North Hempstead S.T.O.P. program will be continuing its partnership with the Nassau County Police Department in its drug take pack program, which was the first program of its kind to be offered in Nassau County. Residents who need to dispose of unused prescription or over-the-counter drugs may bring those pharmaceuticals with them to the program for destruction. Police sources report that half of all teens who abuse prescription painkiller do so with drugs they found in their house. This program will help to keep North Hempstead families safer from drug abuse issues, and keep our waters clean In addition to protecting our environment by diverting unwanted drugs from landfills and our drinking water, the program prevents dangerous pharmaceuticals from getting into the wrong hands.
The upcoming S.T.O.P. event will also have a clothing donation area thanks to North Hempstead’s partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters. Representatives of Big Brothers Big Sisters will be collecting gently used and working clothes, stuffed animals, electronics, toys, sporting equipment, shoes, books, small area rugs, bikes, scooters, luggage, picture frames, table lamps, bolts of fabric, silverware, glassware, dishes, and cosmetics. Each resident will receive a receipt for their donation for income tax purposes.
“I am proud that our Town is committed to continuing to offer a convenient and environmentally responsible way to dispose of dangerous and harmful waste such as chemicals, electronics, and pharmaceuticals,” said Supervisor Bosworth about the S.T.O.P. program.
In addition to the June S.T.O.P. event there will be 2 additional dates in 2016. Michael J. Tully Park will host a S.T.O.P. event on September 17 and North Hempstead Beach Park will host another S.T.O.P. event on October 30. All collection events begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.
For more information on the S.T.O.P. program, please call 311 or (516) 869-6311.
Chief Sustainability Officer Erin Reilley, Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Acting Commissioner of the Solid Waste Management Authority Paul DiMaria at a recent S.T.O.P. event.