City of Mesa - Efficient Hazardous Waste Collection

I was bowled over by the efficiency of the Household Hazardous Waste Collection event held In Mesa today. 

I got a recent reminder of the event, in perfect time to plan to participate.  You know, not too late that you can't gather up your stuff.  But not so early that you forget by the time the day arrives.  And I had really been wanting to clean up my garage.

So I boxed up 10 years worth of leftover cans of paint and spray paint.  Add to that, chemicals like brake fluid, Scotchguard, cleaners, etc.that had been in the garage for years subjected to temperatures guaranteed to break down the formulas.  I filled up my trunk with boxes of the discards. 

I have never participated in an event like this and didn't know what to expect.   The event started at 8, or so the web site said.  I arrived at the location at 7:48 and was dismayed to find 40 or 50 cars ahead of me. 

I was expecting a very, very long wait.

To my surprise, the line was already moving, and cars were already leaving.  The line moved steadily to the drop-off point.  By 8, I was only about 15 cars back.  The lanes were clearly marked.  There were spotters at key points.  And there was a horde of employees emptying vehicles.  The whole process worked with clockwork efficiency.

My trunk was completely empty by 8:10 and I was on my way home, happy and feeling quite smug about disposing of my household waste responsibly.