NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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The County of Simcoe is proud to announce the launch of the Mercury Roundup Program running at County Household Hazardous Waste drop-off locations across the region. (This program is not available to City of Orillia residents, but is available to residents of Oro-Medonte, Severn and Ramara townships)
The initiative is co-ordinated in partnership with Scout Environmental, with generous funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and is designed to divert liquid mercury from the waste stream and landfills while educating residents about proper disposal of mercury products.
“The County is an environmentally conscious municipality with numerous programs aimed at educating and assisting residents to divert, sort and dispose of harmful materials the right way,” said Warden George Cornell.
“We thank the Ontario Trillium Fund for their support and look forward to working with Scout Environmental to roll out this initiative at our drop-off locations.”
Although it occurs naturally, mercury is extremely dangerous.
Exposure to even small amounts can cause serious health problems, with toxic effects on the nervous, digestive, and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes. It can also contaminate soil and water and cause damage to our natural ecosystems. As such, proper handling and disposal are crucial when managing this type of waste.
For a complete list of mercury containing devises please visit the link to the mercury roundup page.
As an added incentive, customers who bring in a mercury containing device to the County of Simcoe Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depot will receive a free digital thermometer (one thermometer per customer per day while supplies last). **Mercury containing light bulbs and button cell batteries are not eligible for a free thermometer.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) can only be dropped off at the following County of Simcoe waste management facilities:
- Nottawasaga - 5715 County Road 64, Stayner
- Oro - 610 Old Barrie Road West, Township of Oro-Medonte
- Tosorontio - 6815 Concession Road 4, Township of Adjala Tosorontio
- Bradford West Gwillimbury - 2960 Line 12, Bradford West Gwillimbury
- North Simcoe - 1700 Golf Link Road, Midland
The County runs 20 diversion programs at its eight operating waste management facilities, including tires, shingles, scrap metal, leaf and yard waste, drywall, mattresses and more, which resulted in a 70 per cent diversion rate across our waste management facilities in 2018.
Please visit simcoe.ca or contact Service Simcoe to obtain further information on the program and facility locations at 705-735-6901 (1-800-263-3199) or[email protected]
An agency of the Government of Ontario, the Ontario Trillium Fund is one of Canada’s largest granting foundations. With a budget of over $136 million, it awards grants to some 1,000 projects every year to build healthy and vibrant Ontario communities. For more information about the Ontario Trillium Fund, please visit www.otf.ca.
Scout Environmental is a not-for-profit that specializes in the development, delivery, and management of creative programs that engage people on environmental issues.
For over 15 years, Scout has been a pioneer in applying creative approaches to air quality, sustainability, and waste. Please visit scoutenvironmental.com for more information.
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