Wellington County Receives North American Hazardous Materials Management Association Award

Wellington County, ON – The County of Wellington’s Solid Waste Services (SWS) Division has been selected as the 2023 North American Hazardous Materials Management Association Award (NAHMMA) recipient.

The NAHMMA is a non-profit, membership-based association of individuals, businesses, government officials, academia, and non-profit organizations dedicated to pollution prevention and reducing the hazardous components entering municipal waste streams from households, small businesses and other entities.

The NAHMMA enlists its membership from waste management professionals from across North America, in particular those who specialize in hazardous waste management handling/services.  Every year, the NAHMMA issues awards to deserving individuals or organizations in nine categories to promote and recognize contributions to the field of household hazardous waste management.  Individuals or organizations can self-nominate or be nominated by others.

This past spring, SWS employees were notified that a local resident nominated the County for one of these awards.  The County’s Mobile Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depot service was nominated in the Programme Innovation category and was selected as the winner of the award.

Award Criteria:

To recognize unique and effective innovations in either HHW or CESQG services, including best recycling/reuse strategies, best documented educational strategies resulting in positive behaviour change, and/or best documented hazard reduction.

The County’s Mobile HHW Depot has been a remarkably successful and popular service.  It replaced a previous model of providing for HHW disposal services, which was HHW event days.  The event days were scheduled for one day each year located in each of the County’s seven member municipalities.  The Mobile HHW Depot provides HHW disposal opportunities 155 days a year throughout the County.

“I would like to congratulate the SWS Division on receiving this prestigious award,” said Warden Andy Lennox. “I would also like to thank the residents of Wellington County and their commitment to protect our environment and keep hazardous materials out of our landfill.”

“Not only is the Mobile HHW Depot far more accessible than the previous HHW programme, it is also more cost effective than hosting the seven event days,” commented Steve O’Neill, Chair of the County’s Solid Waste Services Committee.  “I would like to thank the NAHMMA for recognizing all the hard work the SWS team has put into the HHW Depot.”

For more information on HHW, please visit: www.wellington.ca/hhw

-30-

Media Contact
Das Soligo, Manager of Solid Waste Services
T: 519.837.2601 x 2400
E: dass@wellington.ca