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Background
In 1997 the City of Grand Prairie established a program to assist residents with disposal of household hazardous waste (HHW). HHW refers to household wastes that can have a detrimental effect on the environment if disposed of in landfills or poured down the drain. Examples of HHW include household cleaners, lawn and pool chemicals, paint, motor oil, cooking oil, fluorescent bulbs and tubes, household and automotive batteries, and pharmaceuticals.
 The City of Grand Prairie has contracted with the City of Fort Worth Environmental Collection Center (ECC) to accept and dispose of HHW from residents of Grand Prairie.
To cover the costs of operating this program, the City of Grand Prairie is charged a fee for each household that utilizes this service. Residents may bring waste to scheduled collection events or they may take it to the ECC directly.
Collection Events
To make it as convenient as possible for residents to dispose of their waste properly, the City of Grand Prairie holds 8 to 10 collection events each year. When residents arrive at the collection event, Environmental Quality personnel unload the waste materials, sort them and package them for transport to the ECC in Fort Worth. For more information or to register for the next event, click here.
Waste Disposition
Some of the items collected have never been opened, or are almost full and in good condition. These items are placed on the "help yourself" shelf at the ECC, free to ECC customers. Much of the waste, such as motor oil and cooking oil, can be recycled or blended into fuel for industrial usage. Other wastes, such as pharmaceuticals, are incinerated, which keeps them from impacting our soil and surface waters.
Grand Prairie Trends
Participation in the HHW program has continued to increase as residents become aware of the environmental concerns with HHW and the programs available to dispose of it properly. Over the last six years, the number of participating households has grown from 622 to 1197. The chart below illustrates the participation rate by year, including those who brought waste to a collection event and those who drove to the ECC.
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