By Ryan O'Connor
Staff Writer

For the 10th straight year Hopkinton is joining surrounding towns to help residents get rid of unwanted hazardous waste.

The annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day takes place Satuday, Oct. 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Henniker.

Along with Hopkinton and Henniker, Sutton, Bradford and Webster will be participating in the voluntary program.

“Henniker does all the heavy lifting, lining it up and contracting,” said Steve Clough, Hopkinton’s assistant public works director. “Because it’s very expensive for the amount of participation that you get here. It is a cost-effective solution to do a regional collection day. It makes it a lot more feasible to do it with several towns.”

Clough said Hopkinton has some of the highest participation in the state.

“Not ever town always did it because it is so expensive. So, to do it in the same spot around the same time every year, we have had an advantage of people knowing it is coming up and knowing where to go to dispose of these materials that have to be treated as hazardous waste,” said Clough.

There really isn’t any easy way to do it, he said.

“It has to be done in a regulated fashion by contracted companies that handle it and it has to leave the site right away, so it gives people the opportunity to dispose of stuff properly if they want to,” Clough said.

Residents who want to participate should bring their hazardous materials and proof of residency to the Henniker Highway Department, which is located on Ramsdell Road.

Directions: Take Route 202/9 to Route 114 South, take a left at town center and a right onto Ramsdell Road. The highway department is on the left.

Items not accepted are water-based paints, latex paints, asbestos-based products, household batteries, ammunition, fireworks, infectious materials or anything radioactive.

Accepted items include household materials, oil-based paints, degreasers, driveway sealers, paint strippers, thinners, solvents, glues, oven cleaners, floor cleaners and toilet cleaners.

Some outdoor materials include insecticides, weed killers and other poisonous products.

“It’s not a commercial or industrial type of thing, it is a household waste type of things,” said Clough.

For a more comprehensive list, residents can consult the bulletin board at their town hall or call the Henniker Highway Department at 603-428-7604.