PROVO, Utah -- It was a much-needed spring cleaning Saturday for thousands of Utah residents as they collected hazardous waste that’s been gathering dust in their homes and had a chance to get rid of it all at the Provo Town Center Mall.
For many, the event is an annual tradition.
“We planned for it," said one Spanish Fork resident dropping off waste. "We saved up everything we needed to drop off. I've got one for every station. I've already gotten rid of my old pharmacy, so we appreciate this kind of thing, wish it happened more often.”
Saturday was their day to drop off any of the hazardous waste they no longer have a need for.
“I've got a bunch of old antifreeze and some oil I want to get rid of," one Springville resident said.
Lance Madigan with the Utah County Health Department said they received hundreds of thousands of pounds of waste, from old electronics to oils and pesticides--and everything in between.
Twenty different organizations were involved, including students from Brigham Young University who wanted to get some hands-on experience.
Jessica Thibault said, “We're learning about this in our class, so it's really cool to be inside and have a real life experience with environmental health.”
Janna Mills added, “They said there would be lines of cars and cars, but seeing it actually happening with how many people there are, it's kind of surprising.”
Madigan explained that not only is getting rid of these items the right way good for the environment, but it's a boon to your family’s health as well.
“If a pet gets into it they can be poisoned, if a child plays with it wrong, or if it spills and it's absorbed back into the environment," he said.
There were some things that were not taken at the event. Ammunition, explosives and medical and commercial waste, among other things, were not accepted.
