| So, on Saturday my first order of business was to gather up all the various pesticides, fertilizers and gallons of paint, primer and putty. I quickly amassed quite a collection of products that had no business going down the drain or into the landfill. After loading up the truck, I made the short drive to the drop off point. I arrived to a capable army of volunteers and environmental disposal experts ready to greet me and take the handoff. It was quite a site; a dozen workers or so, donning rubber aprons, gloves and eye protection along with barrels, boxes and drums lined with thick leak-proof plastic. Sure, it might have been overkill for some of the stuff arriving this day but it was a reminder that many of the other chemicals are dangerous to handle and extremely harmful to the environment. While there, I had the opportunity to meet Joanna Radford, an agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. She was present to oversee and monitor the disposal day and (fortunately for me) answer questions. I learned this was a program that has been going on in Surry County for eight years. What started out as a waste disposal day for liquid household products such as paint and cleaners has evolved and expanded to include other environmentally hazardous chemicals, namely pesticides and motor oil. Each year mobile recycling companies are contacted to bid on the job. Judging from the looks of this very professional operation, I knew it must be quite costly to operate such a program, especially when it is entirely free to the public. Fortunately some of this cost is subsidized by funds provided thru an assistance program with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. It is gratifying to know that organized efforts such as this are available in at least some towns, cities and counties across the country. It is also a concern to know what happens when you consider the alternative to not having a convenient and accessible location to dispose of dangerous
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