King County residents can safely dispose of old car batteries, oil, paint thinner and many other household hazardous items at no cost when the Wastemobile makes a stop in Carnation, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 16 to 18.

The Wastemobile will be in the parking lot of King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park, Carnation, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Residents can drop off household hazardous waste items including pesticides, oil-based paints, automotive products (oil, antifreeze, lamps), fluorescent bulbs/tubes and other items without a charge. The service is pre-paid through garbage and sewer utility fees.

Created in 1989, the Wastemobile was the first traveling hazardous waste disposal program in the nation. It is operated by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program and goes throughout the county from the spring through fall.

Residents help protect the environment and public health by safely disposing of the hazardous materials and keeping them out of drains and landfills.

Since first hitting the road, the Wastemobile has collected more than 16,000 tons of hazardous household waste from more than 450,000 customers.

The Wastemobile is now part of  LightRecycle Washington, a program to safely collect fluorescent tubes and bulbs that contain mercury. The program is funded through an environmental handling charge included in the retail price of these types of lights.

The Wastemobile also provides free products to the public, such as oil-based paint, stain and primer, plus wood care and cleaning products. These products are subject to availability, and residents must sign a release form prior to receiving materials.

For more information, call the Hazards Line at (206) 296-4692, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., except holidays.

The Wastemobile is one of the services provided by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program through a partnership of more than 40 city, county and tribal governments in King County.