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Hawaii County has announced free household hazardous waste collection events at the following dates and locations.

— Saturday, Feb. 8, from 7:30 a.m.to 2:30 p.m. at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium parking lot, 323 Manono St., Hilo. Enter via Pi‘ilani Street.

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— Saturday, Feb. 15, from 7:30 a.m.to 2:30 p.m. at the West Hawaii Civic Center parking lot, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona. Enter via Ane Keohokalole Highway.

— Saturday, March 1, from 8:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. at the Waimea District Park Parking Lot, 67-1315 Ala ‘Ohi‘a Road, Waimea.

— Sunday, March 2, from 8:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. at the Pahoa Recycling &Transfer Station,15-1870 Cemetery Road, Pahoa.

The Department of Environmental Management holds these regular collection events, at no charge to the public, so households can conveniently dispose of acceptable household hazardous waste in a manner that protects both public health and the environment.

Acceptable household hazardous waste includes certain types of automotive fluids, used batteries, fluorescent bulbs and pesticides.

For a more complete list of acceptable or unacceptable household hazardous waste, please visit www.hawaiizerowaste.org/recycle/household-hazardous-waste/. The website includes other useful information on solid waste diversion and recycling.

These events are for household-generated and self-hauled waste only. Business, government agency, nonprofit agency or farm wastes are prohibited by law. Latex paint, electronic waste, and tires will not be accepted.

The following rules are for the safety of the public and staff conducting these events.

— Remain in your vehicle unless directed by authorized personnel.

— Prior to arriving at the event, place items in your trunk or truck bed. Make sure the trunk can be unlocked or opened remotely. If you don’t have a trunk or truck bed, it is preferred that you place your materials in the unlocked and unoccupied backseat area.

— All containers brought to the event will not be returned and should be disposable. If you want to keep your container, transfer the material into a safe disposable container prior to the event.

— Please label your HHW items (if possible) and make sure that your HHW items are easily distinguishable and separate from anything else in your trunk or truck bed.

— If you are feeling ill or showing symptoms of illness, please consider postponing your participation in our event or designate someone else to drop off your materials.

For questions regarding these collection events, contact Chris Chin-Chance, recycling specialist with DEM, at (808) 961-8554 or recycle3@hawaiicounty.gov.