An annual Cleansweeps hazardous material collection event allows residents, like this Ashland County participant in 2019, to safely dispose of toxic products such as lawn and garden chemicals, household cleaners, and medications. Farmers and small b… — An annual Cleansweeps hazardous material collection event allows residents, like this Ashland County participant in 2019, to safely dispose of toxic products such as lawn and garden chemicals, household cleaners, and medications. Farmers and small businesses can also participate in the 2020 collection events in August and September.

The Ashland and Bayfield counties annual Cleansweeps hazardous materials collection events will be held rain or shine on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 11 and 12. Clean out your garage or basement and take advantage of this safe way to dispose of toxic stuff!

Any resident of any county or tribal nation can bring household, agricultural, and small business materials to any collection event. You can attend one event or several, if needed. Covid-19 safety guidelines will be practiced, and all participants will stay in their vehicles while technicians unload materials.

Dates, times, and locations of four county collections in our area:

Bayfield County: Tuesday, August 11, 2 to 7 p.m., in Iron River at the Iron River Fairgrounds, 7080 N. Main Street, 715-373-6104, extension 0.

Ashland County: Wednesday, August 12, from 2 to 7 p.m., in Ashland at the WITC parking lot, 2100 Beaser Ave., 715-682-7017.

The Cleansweeps program is open to all residents, farmers, small businesses, governmental units, and schools. This event is free to households for most items. There are some fees for small quantity generators such as farms and businesses. Farms & small businesses must pre-register by calling the Northwest Regional Planning Commission at 715-635-2197.

The Cleansweeps program accepts unwanted chemicals and materials that contain hazardous or poisonous characteristics. Acceptable items include oil-based paints, stains, lead paint, shellac, varnish, wood preservatives, roof coatings, driveway sealer, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, poisons, some household cleaners, acids, corrosives, pool chemicals, automobile transmission and brake fluids, antifreeze, degreasers, solvents, thinners, turpentine, adhesives, kerosene, lighter fluid, gasoline, PCB ballasts, rechargeable and button batteries, metal halide lights, lead tackle, thermometers, mercury, thermostats, and aerosols.

Some materials have a small fee due to recycling costs. For example, oil filters are $1.00 each, and fluorescent tube bulbs are $0.65 to $2.25 each depending on size.

The Cleansweeps event will not accept latex paint, as it is not considered hazardous. The best and safest way to dispose of unwanted latex paint is to open the container, place it in a safe place, and allow it to dry out and harden. This works best with containers that are less than half full. Once it is completely dry it can be placed in regular garbage containers.

Additional unacceptable items include empty or dried paint cans, used motor oil, explosives or flares, pressurized containers, radioactive materials, Freon 11 & 12, medical or infectious wastes, waste motor oil, auto and alkaline batteries, asbestos, tires, recyclables, electronics, and appliances.

The Ashland and Bayfield collection sites will be accepting household medications, which include controlled and non-controlled prescription and over-the-counter medications such as pills, capsules, ointments, liquids, sprays, creams, inhalers, vials and drops. Please leave prescription medications in the original containers, and remove personal information on the container. Many thanks to the Ashland Police Department and NorthLakes Community Clinic Pharmacy for helping to collect medications at the event this year!

No radioactive or chemotherapy medications are accepted, nor are sharps, syringes, and IV bags or tubing. Contact your health care provider for disposal options for those materials.

The Ashland Police Department, Washburn Police Department, and Ashland and Bayfield counties’ Sheriff’s Departments have free, year-round drop-off sites in their buildings for medications. Throughout the year in southern Ashland County, residents can take unwanted pharmaceuticals and medications to the Mellen Police Department, Park Falls Police Department, Price County’s Sheriff Department, and the Butternut Village Hall.

The Extension websites (https://ashland.extension.wisc.edu/ and Bayfield.extension.wisc.edu) offer a “2020 Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Guide” for year-round disposal options offered at area businesses that accept many of these items. Check the guide for addresses and phone numbers of businesses and departments that accept materials throughout the year.

The four counties have contracted with the Northwest Regional Planning Commission since the Cleansweeps program started in 1995. The program received a Wisconsin Governor’s Award for Excellence in Hazardous Waste Reduction, and has operated 390 collections gathering 1.6 million pounds of hazardous materials since its start.

For more information, call the Ashland County Extension Office at (715) 682-7017, or Bayfield County Extension at 715-373-6104, extension 0. Collection details, prices and information including dates and times of other collections in Northern Wisconsin can also be found on the Ashland and Bayfield County Extension websites.

Contact Information

Ashland County: Lissa Radke, 715-682-7017

Bayfield County: Theresa LaChappelle, 715-373-6104