LAPLACE — Household Hazardous Materials Collection Day in LaPlace and Luling collected 81,806 pounds of material to recycle, dispose and treat.

Though significantly less than last year’s collection, this amount is the second highest collected in program history, organizers said.

Oil based paint, flammables, aerosols, poisons, used electronics and tires accounted for last year’s collection of more than 68 tons.

2018 marked the 20th consecutive industry-sponsored household hazardous collection day event, and its purpose continues to be 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 maximize safety and minimize environmental impact.

Jay Lambremont and Lance Traylor, both with Marathon Petroleum Company; Lynette Currier with OxyChem – Taft; Durell Morris with Valero; and Michael McNally with Shell Norco served as event coordinators for local industries sponsoring the event.

Lynette Currier and Michael McNally organized a special recognition of Fred Goodson, who coordinated the event from its inception and chaired the event until his retirement from Shell Norco.

“We are very thankful for and appreciative of Fred Goodson,” Currier said.

25 area manufacturers sponsored the event, providing funding and volunteers.  Of the 81,806 pounds of materials collected, 57 percent was recycled or recovered.

Used electronics accounted for 16,884 pounds and 8,843 pounds of oil/antifreeze was collected.

The two sites this year included assistance from 64 volunteers, who serviced drop-offs from 560 vehicles.

“For the second consecutive year, as an added incentive for resident participation, the first 150 vehicles at each site received a one-time Platinum Pelican Pointe car wash, and also donated one wash to each volunteer,” Lance Traylor said.

“We are quite appreciative of Pelican Pointe Car Wash for their support of this annual event.”

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

Brought to you by:

With 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, this event was sponsored by: Air Liquide, Air Products (multiple locations), Arkema, Cornerstone Chemical Company, Denka Performance Elastomer, Dow, DuPont, Entergy, Evonik Corporation – Reserve, Evonik Corporation – Garyville, Galata Chemicals LLC, Grace, Hexion, Marathon Petroleum Company LP, Monsanto, Nalco Champion – an EcoLab Company, Noranda, Nucor, OxyChem, Praxair, Shell Chemical (Norco), Shell Pipeline Company LP, and Valero.  Other organizations which provided donations, volunteers, food, support services and/or recycling were:  Air Liquide, Arkema, Denka Performance Elastomer, COLT, Inc., EMR Recycling, Edward Dufresne Community Center, Green Project, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, Monsanto, New Wine Christian Fellowship, Pelican Pointe Car Wash and Positive Results, Inc.   

Clean Harbors Environmental Services provided waste and recycling professional services. 

Marathon Petroleum Company, United Way of St. Charles and St. John United Way assisted with fiscal tasks for the event.