Household Chemical Day is Saturday April 27, 2013 in Lafayette

It all began on a spring day in 1993 at the Heymann Performing Arts Center parking lot. The first household chemical collection day sponsored by local government in Acadiana was coordinated by the city of Lafayette and Lafayette Parish Government three years prior to consolidation of the two then-separate forms of government.

'Bring it Back' was the name given to the event, and 350 cars came out to drop off 26 tons of old paint, poison, and chemical cleaners, according to Lafayette Consolidated Government Environmental Quality Manager Mark Pope.

The next scheduled chemical drop-off day is set for Saturday, April 27 at the Cajun Field parking lot. The event is scheduled from 8 a.m. until noon.

Only residents in the city of Lafayette and in unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish can attend. Businesses are not allowed to drop chemicals at the event, which is sponsored by Lafayette Consolidated Government’s Environmental Quality Division and Allied Waste.

“The event has always been immensely popular. Lafayette citizens respond well to environmental programs that our division sponsors. They know that putting chemicals into the garbage can bring unintended consequences, creating both human health threats and environmental hazards,” according to Pope.

Since the inception of the program, the average turnout at each event is 732 cars, and the average quantity of chemicals collected at each event is 35 tons.

Pope says that a recent development for electronic recycling in Lafayette is good news for the public. Louisiana Scrap Metal at 2200 Cameron St. is now accepting electronics from the general public for recycling. There is no charge to drop electronics at Louisiana Scrap Metal.

The complete list of household chemicals and electronics that will be accepted at the chemical collection on April 27 can be seen at lafayettela.gov.