Second island event planned for Nov. 16 Fort Myers, FL, Oct. 23, 2024 –

Lee County Solid Waste reports that Pine Island residents dropped off more than 18,500 pounds of household chemicals and electronics at a recent post-Hurricane Milton collection event.

The county will host an additional event Nov. 16 to help islanders continue to recover from Hurricane Milton.

The top three items Solid Waste collected Oct. 19 included 9,720 pounds of latex paint, 4,067 pounds of used oil and gas and 1,769 pounds of lead acid batteries. Other collected items consisted of various household hazardous waste such as gas cylinders, ammunition, fluorescent bulbs, rechargeable batteries and more. Collected electronics will go to a licensed demanufacturer for recycling. The chemicals that can be recycled will be filtered for reuse, and the remainder will be properly disposed of by the county’s chemical waste contractor.

More than 220 Pine Island residents participated in the Oct. 19 event. Due to its success, Lee County Solid Waste will return to Pine Island for another free collection event at the same location. Residents can drop off materials 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 16 at Phillips Park, 5675 Sesame Drive, Bokeelia.

Residents who do not want to wait for the event can visit the Household Chemical and Electronics Recycling Facility, 6441 Topaz Court, Fort Myers. The site is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and the first Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to noon, excluding holidays. There is no charge to drop off items.

“We want to thank Pine Island residents for taking the time to properly dispose of household chemical waste,” said Paul Flores, Lee County Solid Waste operations manager. “It helps protect our environment and keep our community safe.”

To find out more information on proper material disposal, residents can download the Recycle Coach app or visit www.leegov.com/solidwaste/recycle-coach For more tips and information about how to sort Hurricane Milton debris, visit www.leegov.com/storm.