St. Tammany Parish and the Honey Island Group of the Sierra Club partnered together last weekend to sponsor the parish’s fifth annual Hazardous Waste Collection Day, and the crowd that turned out was a testament to the need for such events.

For much of the morning the line of people wanting to bring stuff in for collection stretched out onto the highway.

Keep Covington Beautiful, Keep Mandeville Beautiful and Keep Slidell Beautiful as well as countless volunteers helped with the event, unloading everything from cans of paint to computer screens.

Jason Quiett and Nick Besiant wrap up discarded electronic, preparing them for transport during the Hazardous Waste Collection Day. (Staff Photo by Suzanne Le Breton)

The first two years the event was held at Koop Drive, the next two it was held at the Harbor Center in Slidell.

Saturday’s event was held again at Koop Drive, and Diane Castille with the Sierra Club said it was the largest turn out so far.

The following things were collected:

• Latex and oil-based paints and polyurethane stains in original containers with readable labels (including spray paint) 

• Mineral spirits, kerosene, lamp oil, turpentine, tung, linseed, neat’s-foot and cotton oils in original containers with readable labels 

• E-waste, including computers, monitors, copiers, fax machines, TVs, microwaves, stereos/radios, VCR/DVD players, typewriters and miscellaneous computer equipment 

• Cell phones 

• Printer and inkjet cartridges 

• Batteries of all types

• Lights (incandescent and fluorescent) 

• Mercury containing devices, e.g. thermometers, thermostats

• Tires from automobiles and light trucks (five per household)

The items were turned over to various organizations, where they will be reused, recycled or disposed of properly.

Much of the paint was turned over to the Green Project, where it is mixed and resold at reduced prices. However, some of it found a new home in the art closets of local teachers.

Madisonville Junior High School accepted all of the used printer cartridges, which they recycle.

Some of the electronic items that could be rebuilt or used for parts were taken by one company, and the St. Tammany SALT Council accepted cellular phones, which can be refurbished and reused as emergency communication devices for seniors.

Jinx Vidrine, also with the Sierra Club, said what could help at future events would be if neighbors would consolidate their efforts and only one wait in line with the supplies.

The Sierra Club also puts out a publication advertising where many things can be turned in for reuse or recycling.