Amnesty Day this Saturday

Amnesty Day, which offers Santa Rosa County residents the opportunity to dispose of household hazardous waste at no charge, is scheduled for this Saturday, March 27 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Amnesty Day is not a recycle day, but a special day for disposal of household hazardous waste. Materials will also be accepted from conditionally exempt small quantity generators including small businesses, schools and growers at a reduced rate.

"We try to limit the amount of hazardous materials that go into our landfill," said Floyd Rentz, recycle manager for the county. "It's a matter of convenience for the residents."

Though the county landfill has a liner enabling it to accept hazardous material, Rentz said the county remains cautious about how much is dumped there.

"It's good stewardship and trying to do the right thing by not putting as much as possible in it," he said.

The collected materials are shipped to processing sites specifically designed for hazardous materials.

Small quantity generators must call (850) 981-7135 by noon on Friday, March 26 to schedule a drop off time. Calls will be accepted from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.  

Two drop off sites are available, at the Santa Rosa County South Side Service Center located at 5819 Gulf Breeze Parkway in Midway and at the parking lot of the Santa Rosa County Administrative Complex, located behind McDonald's at 6495 Caroline Street in Milton.

Cathode ray televisions and monitors will be accepted at the Midway location.  Residents will be required to remove these items from their vehicle. They will not be accepted at the Amnesty Day drop off on Caroline Street, but can be taken directly to the Central Landfill located at 6337 Da Lisa Road in Milton throughout the year, Monday- Saturday, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tires, printers, fax machines, DVD/DVR players, typewriters, copy machines, general debris or household garbage will not be accepted as part of Amnesty Day.