TCOG to offer household hazardous waste collection event in Sherman

SHERMAN, APRIL 11, 2022 – Officials at Texoma Council of Governments have announced an appointment-only Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection event for Saturday, April 30, 2022 that will take place at the TCOG parking lot in Sherman. Collection will begin at 8:00 am and end at 12:00 pm.

Despite the lack of year-round HHW collection facilities in this region, TCOG is the recipient of grant funds from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and SEP penalty monies from a TCEQ enforcement action, each allowing the organization to offer regular collection events throughout the Texoma region.

“Without a local recycling center and nowhere to take this waste, Texoma can benefit greatly from this event,” stated Chris Carr, TCOG’s Regional Services Specialist.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), describes HHW as leftover household products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances, or that are corrosive or toxic. Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain ingredients that are hazardous and require special care when you dispose of them. Improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and threaten human health.

The HHW collection event has been a well-attended, high-demand event, serving as a means of protecting our region from the adverse effects of hazardous waste dumping, saving cities and counties the high cost of HHW disposal fees and reducing the cost of crews coming to pick up and dispose of the waste.

The last Grayson County collection event was held in October of 2020, where over 120 households participated. “Many locals have already benefitted from these events,” explained Carr. “In 2020, we were able to divert over 35,000 lbs. of HHW from landfills. This included 15,000 lbs. of latex paint and nearly 13,000 lbs. of electronic waste.”

Acceptable items collected at the event include household quantities of hazardous waste (household chemicals, batteries, pesticides, insecticides, etc.) and electronic items (computers, phones, printers, kitchen appliances, etc.) A complete list of acceptable and restricted items is available on TCOG’s website and can also be found on the HHW registration form.

Any Texoma resident can participate in the event at no cost, though the event is by appointment only. We ask that all participants pre-register and arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before your appointment to reduce wait times. To schedule an appointment, visit TCOG’s website at www.tcog.com.

For questions or additional information on household hazardous waste, contact Chris Carr at (903) 893-2161 ext. 3565.

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson counties. Established in 1968, Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Both directly and through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

TCOG to offer latex paint recycling and household hazardous waste collection in Bonham

SHERMAN, MAY 6, 2021 – Officials with Texoma Council of Governments have announced an appointment-only Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection event on Saturday, June 5, 2021 that will take place in Bonham at the Fannin County Multipurpose Center. Collection will begin at 9:00 am and end at 1:00 pm.

Although there are no year-round HHW collection facilities in Texoma, TCOG is the recipient of grant funds from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) which allows the organization to offer regular collection events throughout the region.

“Historically, we have held these collection events simultaneously in all three counties every other year,” stated Sean Norton, Public Information & Media Manager for TCOG. “After careful consideration and deliberation by the Natural Resources Advisory Committee, we determined that by shifting our focus to smaller collection events we can reduce costs & wait time, and increase value by offering them more frequently. We have already held two events this year; one in Cooke County and one in Grayson County.”

HHW is defined by the EPA as leftover household products that are toxic, corrosive, or can catch fire, react, or explode. Products such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients that require special care when storing and disposing. If stored or disposed of improperly, these products can present health risks to children, pets, the general public, and the environment. Certain types of HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers or damage landfill liners, septic tanks, and wastewater treatment systems.

“Our program planner also identified an increased demand for paint disposal,” Norton said. “So we have created and incorporated a latex paint recycling program into the HHW collection events.”

Up to twenty gallons of latex paint per participant will be accepted. This added service will require participants to separate oil and latex paints before dropping off.

“During our event in 2019, we collected over 38,000 lbs. of latex paint,” explained Catherine Krantz, TCOG’s Municipal Solid Waste program planner. “We have already collected 8,870 lbs. this year so far. If you have any latex paint to dispose of, be sure to bring it to Bonham on June 5th.”

Other acceptable items collected at the event include limited quantities of household hazardous waste (pesticides, household chemicals, motor oil, oil paint, etc.) and electronics (computers, printers, TVs, phones, appliances, etc.). A complete list of acceptable and restricted items is available on TCOG’s website.

Any Texoma resident can participate in the event at no cost, but pre-registration is required. By scheduling an appointment, participants won’t have to wait in line for more than a few minutes at a time that is convenient to them. To schedule an appointment, visit TCOG’s website at www.tcog.com.

“If Bonham is too far of a drive, we plan to have another HHW collection event in Grayson County in October of this year.”

For questions and additional information about household hazardous waste or additional disposal options in the region, contact Catherine Krantz at (903) 893-2161 ext. 3565.

The Texoma Council of Governments is a voluntary association of the local governments in Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson counties. Established in 1968, Texoma Council of Governments promotes economy and efficiency in the coordinated planning and development of the tri-county region through its community and economic development activities. Both directly and through contractors, the Council provides housing, utility assistance, and weatherization services for low-income citizens in the region and assists the elderly through a variety of Area Agency on Aging programs. The Council also facilitates the delivery of grant funding for homeland security and criminal justice.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as leftover household products that are toxic, corrosive, or can catch fire, react, or explode.

Products such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients that require special care when storing or disposing of. These products can present hazards to children and pets if stored improperly or left around the house. To avoid the potential risks, it is important to monitor the use, storage, and disposal of products with potentially hazardous ingredients.

Improper disposal of HHW can include pouring them down the drain, onto the ground, into storm sewers, or even putting them out with the regular trash. This waste can pollute the environment and pose a threat to public health. Certain types of HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers or damage landfill liners. They can contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets, and they can contaminate groundwater that affects our drinking water and the environment of our rivers and streams if poured onto the ground.

Putting waste in its place protects you — and everyone else, too.

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2020 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event

We are offering one Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event in 2020 by appointment only. If you would like to make an appointment, please fill out a reservation form by visiting https://bit.ly/2020mswhhw or contact our HHW coordinator by email at ckrantz@tcog.com or by phone at (903) 893-2161 ext. 3565.

Thank you for putting waste in its place!

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