Bowling Green-Warren County Household Hazardous Waste Day is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Greenwood High School, 5065 Scottsville Road.

“It will be rain or shine. If you come early be prepared to wait because everybody will try to come early,” said Warren County Public Information Officer Stan Reagan. “It will be in the front so it shouldn’t interfere with the (Greenwood High School) Agriculture Club’s greenhouse open in the back.”

Items accepted include: oil- and latex-based paint, pesticides, herbicides, oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, fluorescent bulbs, fire extinguishers, propane cylinders, helium cylinders, oxygen cylinders, carbon dioxide cylinders, refrigerant gas cylinders, aerosols, old computers and monitors. No tires will be accepted.

“We’ll take any household chemicals that they want to get rid of or can’t use anymore and we’ll dispose of it safely,” Reagan said.

Participants can also bring documents for shredding.

“We want people to remove big metal clips or binders, but staples and paper clips shouldn’t cause any problems,” Reagan said. “Land Shark Shredding does that for us and they get quite a bit each time.”

The services are free for Warren County residents, those who own property in Warren County or for those helping a Warren County resident. The city of Bowling Green and the county stormwater program pay for the event.

Usually held during Earth Week, Household Hazardous Waste Day gives everybody a way to dispose of materials that could potentially harm the environment, said Warren County Storm Management Program Manager Jack Wright.

“The phrase, ‘The government is here to help’ frequently gets a bad rap, but this is an incidence where we do not pay for the service,” he said.

The event has drawn several hundred cars, Reagan said.

“It used to be about 300 cars. Last year we were averaging 800 or 900 cars,” he said. “It’s pretty easy to manage with how we had it set up.”

The largest amount of waste is paint, Reagan said.

“People can (dispose of it) during the year, but they have to take precautions. Mix it with cat litter,” Reagan said. “It works the best with latex paint because it dries the moisture up. Double bag it and put it in a box. That way, it has more protection when it goes to the landfill.”

Disposing of paint and other chemicals properly preserves landfill space, Reagan said.

— Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdnfeatures or visit bgdailynews.com.