Sometimes it seems like there is too many types of light bulbs to keep track of. LED? CFL? Incandescent? Metro Waste Authority (MWA) has the information to help you keep them all straight!
CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs are hazardous due to their mercury content and LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs contain hazardous material in the form of lead. Both belong at a hazardous disposal site to be safely recycled. Incandescent bulbs, however, contain no hazardous material and can go in your curbside garbage. MWA recommends wrapping bulbs in two bags to avoid injury from a broken bulb.
As a bonus, until the end of the year, bring in an old hazardous bulb (CFL, LED, or fluorescent tube) to the Northwest Drop-Off, and get a brand-new LED bulb for free, courtesy of Metro Waste Authority and A-tec Recycling Inc.! Stop by on the second Saturday of the month between 8 a.m. and noon in Grimes and you will get one bulb. You can also bring up to 75 pounds of old bulbs or other hazardous waste free of charge. (Bring a bulb, get a bulb offer available only at Northwest Drop-Off.)
In addition to light bulbs, Metro Waste Authority’s drop-offs accept all kinds of hazardous material. Products with labels that say “toxic”, “flammable”, “corrosive”, or “keep out of reach of children” are considered hazardous and should not be thrown away with the rest of your garbage. Metro Waste Authority facilities dispose of these items in safe ways that protect residents and the environment. To find out if a specific item is hazardous, visit WhereItShouldGo.com/HHW or call 515-967-5512.
Northwest Hazardous Waste Drop-Off – Extended Hours!
(Metro Northwest Transfer Station)
4105 SE Beisser Dr., Grimes, IA 50111
Open 2nd Saturday of the month; March – December from 8 a.m. to Noon.
Or by appointment. Call 515-967-5512.
Metro Hazardous Waste Drop Off
1105 Prairie Drive SW, Bondurant, IA 50035
Open Tuesday-Friday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
and the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month from 8 a.m.to Noon