Most garages are filled with weed killers, drain cleaners and paint cans that are just not needed.

Instead of just throwing them into a nearby garbage can, they should be disposed of properly.

The DeKalb County Farm Bureau Center for Agriculture, 1350 W. Prairie Drive, in Sycamore at the corner of Peace and Bethany Roads, will hold a household hazardous waste collection program from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The collection is sponsored by the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, along with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the DeKalb County Health Department and the DeKalb County League of Women Voters.

“There is a lot of waste that isn’t allowed in the landfills,” said Pat Dashney, DeKalb County solid waste coordinator. “This will give people a chance to dispose of their waste.”

Examples of wastes being collected are oil-based paint, insecticides, used motor oil, old gasoline, drain cleaner, wood stripper, cleaning products, mercury thermometers, household batteries, pool chemicals, solvents, lawn chemicals, fluorescent bulbs and antifreeze.

Unacceptable wastes are explosives, smoke detectors, car batteries, farm machinery oil, agricultural chemicals, business wastes, lead-acid batteries, fire extinguishers and propane tanks.

The waste program has been held since 1989 when the state passed a law saying certain items can’t be in a landfill.

When the waste is collected, a private company disposes of the waste in an appropriate manner.

If certain types of wastes are disposed in a landfill, they could leach out and contaminate ground water.

“They will be in the landfill for a long time,” Dashney said.

About 23,000 gallons of waste were collected in 1999, the last time this program was held.

“We hope to get more than that this year,” Dashney said.

The collection only accepts residential waste, not waste from businesses.