An additional $4 million funding for the Detox Your Home program, will help Victorians safely dispose of household chemical waste.
The funding will go toward free pop-up events, run in conjunction with local councils, where household chemicals such as cleaning products, fuels and flammable liquids, pool chemicals and herbicides can be dropped off.
There are also 30 permanent collection sites which accept household batteries and fluorescent lights.
The program is the only one of its kind in Victoria. About 40 pop-up events are held across the state each year.
Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, announced the funding this week as part of the Victorian Budget 2022-23.
“We’re helping Victorians remove toxic household products safely so they don’t pollute our environment, harm animals and vegetation, contaminate our water or make rivers and beaches unsafe for swimming,” D’Ambrosio said.
“Victorians are encouraged to check their cupboards and sheds for these common but potentially harmful household items and take them to a free event, where they will be safely processed and either reused or disposed of correctly.”
The Detox Your Home program has resulted in the safe removal of 7000 tonnes of toxic chemicals – equivalent to the weight of 40 trams – and more than 10,000 tonnes of hard-to-recycle materials from households around the state.
Victorians who use the program bring an average of 23 kilograms of waste for disposal, with two thirds of people reporting they’ve had their toxic materials for more than five years.
Expert chemists are on hand at every event to identify and sort the chemicals, which are then safely transported to a dedicated facility where they are processed for reuse or safe disposal. Chemicals collected are processed and recovered, recycled wherever possible, or disposed of safely.
The most common items collected at pop up events are petrol, kerosene, turpentine, cooking oils, methylated spirits, pesticides and herbicides.
For more information, visit: https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au
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