PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Windows washed, office decluttered and gutters cleaned — spring cleaning is well underway, but now all that’s left is the garage. How long have those paint cans, pesticides and cleaning products been collecting dust? No worries, the Pennsylvania Resource Council has you covered.

The next PRC household chemical collection event of the year, sponsored by the PPG Arena and Pittsburgh Penguins, is 8:45 A.M to 1 P.M. on  Saturday, May 6 at the parking lot of the North Park Swimming pool.

Go here to register. A $20 participation fee covers the cost of disposing of up to 10 gallons or 50 pounds of hazardous materials. Make sure to pack all materials in your car trunks or truck beds and then stay in your vehicle while a  contractor unloads the materials.

Can’t make it on May 6?  PRC is hosting six more collection events across the region from now until the end of October:

• May 20 – Concurrent Technologies Corp. ETF Facility, Johnstown, Cambria County
• June 17 – Fayette County Recycling Convenience Center, Fayette County
• June 24 – Wild Things Park, Washington County
• Aug. 19 – Boyce Park, Allegheny County
• Sept. 9 – South Park, Allegheny County
• Oct. 14 — Bradys Run Recycling Center, Beaver County

Since PRC started operating collection events in 2003, PRC and its partners have facilitated the safe management of 6.5 million pounds of household chemicals, PRC Executive Director Darren Spielman said in a press release.

“It’s critical to divert household chemicals from landfills since many contain toxic elements that can leach into our waterways or introduce dangerous toxic materials into our environment,” Spielman said.

More information, including the full list of chemicals eligible for collection, is available here.