LAPLACE — More than 75,000 pounds of hazardous materials was collected locally during this year’s collection day, officials said.

The 18th Household Hazardous Materials Collection Day was held in April in LaPlace and Luling, and the final tally totals 76,317 pounds of material collected to recycle, dispose and treat.

The event has been held annually since 1998 to provide area households an opportunity to properly dispose or recycle materials that are inappropriate for curbside pickup.

Materials such as solvents, poisons, used oil, electronics and corrosives require special handling to minimize safety and environmental impact. More than a dozen area manufacturers sponsored the event, providing funding and volunteers.

Of the 76,317 pounds of materials collected, 90 percent was recycled or recovered. Of the 76,317 pounds, 9,530 pounds was oil/antifreeze, almost twice the amount collected in 2015.

Batteries comprised 3,323 pounds, very similar to the 2015 event collection amount. Latex paint was 11,866 pounds, the most ever collected and nearly four times the average.

Used electronics accounted for 17,724 pounds, while 3,860 pounds was scrap metal. The two sites this year boasted assistance from 92 volunteers who serviced drop-offs from 490 vehicles.

Visit hhmcd.com for additional information and to see photographs.

Supporters:

The event was made possible with the approval from Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and support from St. Charles Parish Council, St. James Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness, Department of Transportation and Development and St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office.

This event was sponsored by the following companies as a community service: Air Liquide, Air Products (multiple locations), Arkema, Bayou Steel (formerly ArcelorMittal), Bunge, Chemours, Cornerstone Chemical Company, Denka Performance Elastomer, Dow, DuPont, Entergy, Evonik Corporation, Galata Chemicals LLC, Hexion, Marathon Petroleum Company LP, Monsanto, Nalco Champion – an EcoLab Company, Norco Manufacturing Complex, Nucor, OxyChem, Pin Oak Terminals, Praxair, Shell Pipeline Company LP, Valero and Yuhuang Chemical, Inc.

Other organizations which provided volunteers, support services and/or recycling were:  Bayou Steel/ArcelorMittal, COLT, Inc., American Recovery, The Green Project, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, New Wine Christian Fellowship, Positive Results, Inc., Veolia and St. Charles Parish School Board – Luling.  LEI – Lamp Environmental Industries and Stericycle Environmental Solutions provided waste and recycling professional services.

United Way of St. Charles served as fiscal agent for the event.