King County residents can safely dispose of old car batteries, oil, paint thinner and many other household hazardous items at no cost when the Wastemobile comes to Redmond, July 15-17.

The Wastemobile will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the parking lot of Home Depot at 17777 N.E. 76th St. in Redmond.

Residents can drop off household hazardous waste items including pesticides, oil-based paints, automotive products (oil, antifreeze, lamps, etc.), fluorescent bulbs/tubes and other items without charge. The service is pre-paid through garbage and sewer utility fees.

Qualifying businesses can also use the no-cost disposal services. Call (206) 263-8899 or find details at hazwastehelp.org.

Created in 1989, the Wastemobile was the first traveling hazardous waste disposal program in the nation. Since first hitting the road, the Wastemobile has collected more than 17,000 tons of hazardous household waste from more than 466,000 customers. Residents help protect the environment and public health by safely disposing of the hazardous materials and keeping them out of drains and landfills.

The Wastemobile is now part of LightRecycle Washington, a program to safely collect fluorescent tubes and bulbs that contain mercury. The program is funded through an environmental handling charge that is included in the retail price of these types of lights.

In addition, the Wastemobile also provides free reusable products to the public, such as oil-based paint, stain and primer, plus wood care and cleaning products. These products are subject to availability and residents must sign a release form prior to receiving the materials.

The Wastemobile is one of the services provided by the local hazardous waste management program through a partnership of more than 40 city, county and tribal governments working together in King County to reduce threats posed from hazardous materials and wastes.

Following its stop in Redmond, the Wastemobile makes the short trip to Bothell for a household hazardous waste collection event July 29-31, in the parking lot of the Seattle Times building, 19200 120th Ave. N.E.

For more information about disposal, including acceptable materials and quantity limits, call the Hazards Line at (206) 296-4692, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., except holidays. Recorded information is available after hours, or by visiting the Wastemobile website.