There will be no Paint Swap or Household Hazardous Waste Day in 2011, according to the group of businesses that help organize the events.
A statement issued this week indicates the future of the events beyond next year could also be in doubt.
The Responsible Care Group of Washington County - made up of Americas Styrenics, Kraton Polymers and Solvay Advanced Polymers - said in the statement that "our present economic conditions are requiring that these events be curtailed in scope and frequency."
Paint Swap Day gave residents the opportunity to drop off unused paint to be either taken free of charge by other residents or disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. Household Hazardous Waste Day offered proper disposal of materials such as tires, used oil, fluorescent tubes and yard and household chemicals.
Over the 20 years it has been conducted, the county's hazardous waste collection effort has disposed of more than 2 million pounds of waste. The spinoff Paint Swap Day, held for 16 years, collected more than 18,000 gallons of paint, more than 5,000 of which were taken for reuse.
The SouthEastern Ohio Joint Solid Waste Management District's new 15-year plan includes funding for hazardous waste collection events in each of its six counties every other year instead of annually. George Garcia, with Americas Styrenics, had previously said the district provided about half the funding for Household Hazardous Waste Day.
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Hazardous waste collections
Noble County - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, MAHLE site, Industrial Park Road, Caldwell.
Morgan County - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, MIBA Bearings, Ohio 60 North, McConnelsville.
Monroe County - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, Monroe County Garage, Moore Ridge Road, Woodsfield.
Guernsey County - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, Pritchard-Laughlin Civic Center, Glenn Highway (U.S. 40 West), Cambridge.
Residents of any of the six counties in the SouthEastern Ohio Joint Solid Waste Management District can take items to these events.
The statement issued by the group says that as a result of economic conditions, they have elected not to conduct these activities in 2011.
"Moreover, limited funding is being forecast for the funding of these and other community service activities during the 2012 period," the statement says.
However, the statement goes on to emphasize that the group "plans to continue its long-standing commitment to community support and protection of the environment."
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Although he did not go every year, Oak Grove resident Joe Crone, 40, had taken items to Household Hazardous Waste Day. Having the event move to every other year will mean storing such items longer, he said.
"It's unfortunate that the funding had been cut, 'cause these services are certainly welcome by the community," Crone said.
Rob Reiter, director of the solid waste district, said there are no other options for hazardous waste disposal in the district.
However, any resident of the district's six counties - Washington, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Muskingum and Guernsey - can take items to the remaining hazardous waste disposal events scheduled this year.
Noble County's hazardous waste collection is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the former MAHLE site on Industrial Park Road in Caldwell. Morgan County's will be held 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at MIBA Bearings, Ohio 60 North, McConnelsville.
The Monroe and Guernsey County events are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25 - from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Monroe County Garage on Moore Ridge Road in Woodsfield and the same hours at the Pritchard-Laughlin Civic Center on Glenn Highway (U.S. 40 West) in Cambridge.
