Old medicine bottles, paint cans, and cleaning products taking up space in your cabinets?
We’ve got the solution! The San Antonio River Authority (River Authority), in collaboration with local partners, holds six Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Events each year downstream in Wilson, Karnes, and Goliad counties. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality defines household hazardous waste as products containing chemicals that present safety concerns if not properly managed. The River Authority encourages county residents to show their river pride and stop by to drop off unwanted household hazardous waste, electronics, tires, and unused pharmaceuticals. These collection events are essential to the community because they 1) offer residents a safe and convenient way to dispose of unused HHW and 2) help protect local creeks and the San Antonio River from harmful pollutants.
At the collection event, residents can bring HHW such as paint, used motor oil & filters, cleaning products, and pesticides. Other items including computers, small electronics, tires without rims, and pharmaceuticals are also accepted. Note: Large appliances and tires on the rim are not accepted. Click Here for a full list of accepted items. The event is FREE, and residents are assisted on a first-come, first-serve basis. At HHW events in the fall of 2021, the River Authority collected over 83,000 pounds of waste and 60 tons of tires from citizens.
The River Authority hosts these semi-annual HHW collection events with the hope that it will reduce the waste that enters local creeks and the San Antonio River and bring awareness to communities about the harmful effects of improperly disposing of waste. When waste is improperly disposed of (e.g., flushed down toilets or dumped in landfills or riverbanks), it can contaminate the environment and harm the people and wildlife that call the waterways home.
These events assist in improving the quality of the San Antonio River Watershed and increase the quality of life for the residents of the community. As mentioned earlier, the illegal dumping of HHW, electronics, tires, and pharmaceuticals directly impacts the community’s health. Joint efforts in the safe disposal of household hazardous materials help ensure the health and well-being of local creeks and rivers. The River Authority is grateful to its local partners, governments, and organizations that work together to care for our community. We are also grateful to the residents who continue to show their strong support for these events and play their part in keeping our creeks and rivers safe, clean, and enjoyable.
Spring 2022 HHW Collection Schedule
We are excited to kick off this year’s events in Wilson County!
April 2, 2022, 8:00AM-12:00 PM @ Wilson County Expo Center, 435 TX-97, Floresville, TX 78114
May 7, 2022, 8:00AM-12:00 PM @ Karnes County Youth Show Barn, 1480 CR 345, Kenedy, TX 78119
May 21, 2022, 9:00AM-12:00 PM @ Goliad Memorial Auditorium, Auditorium Drive, Goliad, TX 77763
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Visit our events page for more information and a complete list of acceptable items. You can also help by reporting illegal dumping activity by calling the River Authority’s environmental investigations team at (866) 345-7272.
For any questions about upcoming HHW Collection Events, please contact Kendall Hayes at khayes@sariverauthority.org
