Kandiyohi County updates board on regional household hazardous waste operations; facility diverted 84.59 tons last year
June 02, 2026 | Kandiyohi County, Minnesota
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Kandiyohi County's household hazardous waste (HHW) coordinator briefed the county board June 2 on the regional facility's operations, volumes and outreach.
"We're a regional facility. We take from six other counties including our own," Derekson told the board, listing partner counties and describing both permanent drop-off and mobile-collection operations. Derekson said last year the facility processed approximately 67,000 pounds of latex paint, about 15,000 pounds of oil-based paint, roughly 6,600 pounds of fuels and a total of 84.59 tons diverted from the landfill. The facility also recycled an estimated 40,000–50,000 fluorescent bulbs and gave away about 2,200 reusable paint or supply items through a paint-exchange program.
Derekson described the processing methods—bulking into drums, lab-packing hazardous material, or overpacking leaking containers—and noted that most lab-packed hazardous material is incinerated out of state (examples given included Wisconsin, Texas and Illinois facilities). He said the facility has two staff (himself and Brady Pearson) and that smaller drop-offs are handled with mobile collections where appropriate.
Commissioners asked what the shop's capacity and staffing are and whether other local drop-off options exist. Derekson said the county's site is the primary HHW drop-off for hazardous materials; some hardware stores accept latex paint only. He and commissioners discussed the possibility of organizing a larger electronics-and-recycling event to reduce roadside dumping and increase responsible disposal.
The briefing highlighted the facility's role as a regional resource and asked the board to consider support for occasional larger recycling collection events.
"We're a regional facility. We take from six other counties including our own," Derekson told the board, listing partner counties and describing both permanent drop-off and mobile-collection operations. Derekson said last year the facility processed approximately 67,000 pounds of latex paint, about 15,000 pounds of oil-based paint, roughly 6,600 pounds of fuels and a total of 84.59 tons diverted from the landfill. The facility also recycled an estimated 40,000–50,000 fluorescent bulbs and gave away about 2,200 reusable paint or supply items through a paint-exchange program.
Derekson described the processing methods—bulking into drums, lab-packing hazardous material, or overpacking leaking containers—and noted that most lab-packed hazardous material is incinerated out of state (examples given included Wisconsin, Texas and Illinois facilities). He said the facility has two staff (himself and Brady Pearson) and that smaller drop-offs are handled with mobile collections where appropriate.
Commissioners asked what the shop's capacity and staffing are and whether other local drop-off options exist. Derekson said the county's site is the primary HHW drop-off for hazardous materials; some hardware stores accept latex paint only. He and commissioners discussed the possibility of organizing a larger electronics-and-recycling event to reduce roadside dumping and increase responsible disposal.
The briefing highlighted the facility's role as a regional resource and asked the board to consider support for occasional larger recycling collection events.
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