ALTON Friends of the Earth (FoE) are continuing to champion a campaign to persuade Hampshire County Council to provide facilities for the disposal of toxic household rubbish at the townÕs new household recycling centre on the Omega Park trading estate.

And they could be on to a winner.

According to group co-ordinator, Angela Morley, a meeting with HCC projects officer for waste management, David Ward, revealed that AltonÕs recycling centre has in fact been identified as a potential site for taking toxic waste.

At present there are only nine sites in the whole of Hampshire which will take toxic household waste - the nearest to Alton being at Bordon and Basingstoke.

As a result, FoE believes that local people are finding other means of disposing of such as DIY cleaning materials, car maintenance materials, toxic garden waste, old medicines and aerosols.

The results of a recent survey have borne this out. While most of the 165 people surveyed used existing recycling facilities, only seven travelled to Bordon to dispose of their toxic waste with the rest going into landfill bins.

According to Mr Ward the process to get a site registered and approved to collect toxic waste takes up to nine months and involves a huge amount of paperwork. Furthermore, disposal of one ton of waste to landfill costs £50 whereas one ton of toxic waste costs £1,500.

Nonetheless, according to Angela Morley, he supported AltonÕs bid for a toxic waste disposal facility.

In the meantime, Alton FoE are urging people to take their toxic waste to Bordon.

And, they point out, in March 2004 new legislation will come into force to ban garden chemicals containing Dichlorprop, Dikegulac, growth retardants, Resmethrin, Triforine, tar acids and 236 Tba - Alton FoEÕs message is therefore to Òstart the new year by spring cleaning the shed and taking a trip to the Bordon tip!Ó

What is meant by the term hazardous/toxic household waste?

Any product with an orange triangle and black symbol on it, for example any material which is flammable, irritant, toxic, harmful, carcinogenic or corrosive, oxidising, explosive. This label has not always been in force so most garden sheds will contain many unlabelled items

Prescribed medicines.

Examples of products which should be disposed of safely include: oven cleaner, brush cleaner, glues, weed killer, ant killer, anti-freeze, white spirit, tipex, descalers, stain removers, drain cleaners, photographic chemicals, swimming pool cleaners, pesticides, brake fluid, degreasers....

l Alton Friends of the Earth meet every second Tuesday at 7-30 pm in the cellar bar of the Crown Hotel in Alton High Street . New members always welcome- contact co-ordinator, Angela Morley on 01420 82679 or Bill Jabelman for more information on recycling on 01420 562267.