Milton households dropped off 17,827 pounds of hazardous waste at Cambridge High School on Saturday, Sept. 26.
About 230 residents drove through the school's parking lot at 2845 Bethany Bend between 8 a.m. and noon to unload old paints, pesticides, batteries and other chemicals they could not safely toss in the trash. The free collection event, organized by the City of Milton, was first-come, first-served, with registration opening Sept. 14.
Oil-based paints and stains made up the largest share at roughly 7,000 pounds, according to the city's results posted Tuesday, Sept. 29. Batteries accounted for about 2,800 pounds, with 2,100 of those being the lead-acid variety. Pesticides totaled roughly 2,400 pounds. Motor oil came in at about 1,100 pounds, and aerosols added another 1,000.
The city said each drop-off reduces the chance of pollution and contamination from chemicals that might otherwise end up in landfills or storm drains.
Cambridge High School's theatre program ran its own paint recycling fundraiser in the same parking lot during the same hours. The fundraiser accepted latex and oil paint in containers up to five gallons for a small fee, according to the Cambridge Theatre website. Results from the theatre fundraiser have not been released.
The collection is an annual event. A prior edition took place Sept. 6, 2025, also at Cambridge High School, with MXI Environmental Services overseeing the handling and disposal of materials. The city did not name the contractor for the 2026 event.
Milton's Sustainability Advisory Committee, which is drafting a Recycling and Solid Waste Management Plan to guide city policy over the next decade, received a briefing on the collection before it took place. The city said it hopes to hold the event again around the same time next year.
Upcoming community dates
- Saturday, Oct. 3: Crabapple Fest in downtown Crabapple
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: Milton Sustainability Advisory Committee meeting, City Hall Council Chambers, 2006 Heritage Walk
