Lake County utilities report higher household hazardous-waste turnout; Ohio EPA awards universal-waste recycling grant

Pat Stitz, speaking for the Lake County Department of Utilities, reported an increase in turnout at the spring household hazardous-waste collection and described a new state grant that will fund universal-waste recycling for county residents.

"This spring on May 31, we actually had 1,560 cars come through," Pat Stitz said, reporting a rise from spring and fall counts in previous years. Stitz said the county had 1,258 cars in the prior spring and 1,381 in the prior fall.

Stitz told the board that "in April 2025 the Ohio EPA awarded us a grant to provide for the safe collection and recycling of universal waste from Lake County households." He said the grant will fund equipment, training, safety supplies, and off-site recycling by an Ohio contractor certified by the Ohio EPA. The grant period was described as April 1 through March 31 and collections will be free for county residents during that period.

Stitz said collections are scheduled for Saturdays beginning June 7 at the county landfill in Painesville Township, and that the county will also hold a collection in September at the Lake County Fairgrounds. He listed items the program will accept: aerosol cans, antifreeze, batteries (including lithium-ion), fertilizer, fluorescent light bulbs, mercury-containing items, oil-based paints and stains, paint-related waste and pesticides. He also said mixed gas for small engines can be accepted and that electronics collections and tire collections continue year-round with charges for some larger electronics such as tube televisions.

All of the operational details and any associated charges for electronics disposal are posted on the Department of Utilities web page, Stitz said.

The board did not take any formal vote on these program descriptions during the report; the items were presented as an informational update to the commissioners.