Sunapee urges residents to use regional hazardous waste collection events
Old paint, fuels and pesticides in garages can pollute wells and injure pets. Sunapee is steering residents to regional hazardous waste collection days in Lebanon, Claremont, Grantham and Newbury.
Old cans of paint, leftover gasoline, pesticides, cleaners and other chemical products sitting in basements, garages and sheds are exactly what Sunapee is telling residents to clear out through regional hazardous waste collection events. The town says those materials can harm people and pets, and if they are dumped or poured out improperly, they can contaminate groundwater and other water supplies.
The disposal option reaches well beyond Sunapee. The Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission lists participating communities that include Claremont, Cornish, Enfield, Goshen, New London, Newbury, Newport, Springfield and Sunapee, giving homeowners across Sullivan County and the wider Upper Valley Lake Sunapee region a way to handle leftover household chemicals without guessing what belongs in the trash or down the drain.
The 2026 collection schedule runs on Saturday, May 2 in Lebanon, Saturday, May 30 in Claremont, Friday, July 10 in Grantham, Saturday, August 8 in Newbury and Saturday, September 26 in Lebanon. All collections run from 9 a.m. to noon. The next local chance for many residents comes May 30 in Claremont, with more dates following through the fall.
The commission says many towns cover disposal costs for their residents. Otherwise, the fee is $35 for up to 25 pounds or 5 gallons of waste. Businesses and anyone bringing more than 5 gallons or 25 pounds must pre-register two weeks before the event to get a price quote. Residents who need dates, locations or a list of acceptable items can check the commission’s hazardous waste page or call 603-448-1680.
Not every household item belongs at these collections. The 2026 flyer says no batteries will be accepted this year, including lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, and residents are told to bring those to their local transfer station instead. Latex paint is also not considered hazardous and should not be brought to household hazardous waste collections.
The regional program is part of a larger state system. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services says its Household Hazardous Waste Program supports more than 60 annual collection events statewide, using grants to help municipalities and approved regional entities pay for local and regional collections. The commission says it contracts with a hazardous waste disposal service and runs collections several times a year in different locations, a setup meant to keep toxic waste out of water supplies while saving towns money and staff time.
That regional model has deep roots. The Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission says it has been planning for the future of its communities since 1963, and its hazardous waste work now serves as a practical cleanup tool for residents who want to rid their properties of chemicals that should never be stored indefinitely or thrown away casually.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
