King County honors Fred Meyer for commitment to household hazardous waste collection program

Chances are good that when the King County Wastemobile comes to town, it’s setting up shop in the parking lot of a Fred Meyer store.

The Wastemobile is the most successful household hazardous waste collection program in the nation, and for the past decade it has built a solid partnership with Fred Meyer, which has graciously allowed the use of its parking lots in locations from Auburn to Kenmore.

Today, King County honored Fred Meyer’s decade-long commitment to partnering with the Wastemobile program by awarding the retailer the first-annual King County Wastemobile Hazardous Waste Award at an event in Kent.

Theresa Jennings, the director of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, said the county’s longstanding partnership with Fred Meyer has helped make the program a success.

“By hosting our household hazardous waste collection events, Fred Meyer has helped us achieve our goal of making proper disposal of potentially dangerous items something that residents can incorporate into their everyday routines,” Jennings said. “This program’s success lies in the strengths of the partnerships we have formed.”

Six Fred Meyer locations hosted Wastemobile collection events in 2007, providing a convenient place for more than 5,000 residents to safely recycle more than 225 tons of hazardous waste, including pesticides, chlorine bleach, oil-based paints, automotive products fluorescent bulbs and other items free of charge.

Jennings presented plaques commemorating King County’s partnership with Fred Meyer to Teri Weinberg, the chain’s South Puget Sound regional director of stores, and to the managers of six Wastemobile-hosting Fred Meyer stores.

Jennings also thanked Kent City Councilmember Ron Harmon, who was at the award presentation ceremony, for the city’s longstanding commitment to working with the county on this and other important environmental stewardship projects.

“The Wastemobile program is one of those examples of regional and local governments, working in concert with a longstanding business community member to provide an invaluable service to the public,” Jennings said.

“With partners like Fred Meyer and the City of Kent, I’m confident that we will continue to successfully safeguard the environment for decades to come.”

Since 1989, the King County Wastemobile has been traveling to communities throughout the county and has collected nearly 15,000 tons of used motor oil, cleaning products and other household hazardous waste from county residents.

More information about the Wastemobile is available at http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/wastemobile/index.html.

Related Information

Wastemobile

Local Hazardous Waste Management Program

King County Solid Waste Division