Radnor and Haverford residents will gain a year-round place to drop off paint, pesticides and other household hazardous waste by the end of 2028, after Delaware County secured a nearly $5 million federal grant to build two new waste-diversion facilities.

The county announced Wednesday that it received a Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The money will fund a countywide composting facility and recycling drop-off center at the Delaware County Solid Waste Authority's Transfer Station #1 on Concord Road in Chester Township, and the county's first permanent household hazardous waste collection site at Transfer Station #3 on Sussex Boulevard in Marple Township.

Both facilities are expected to open by the end of 2028.

According to the county, the two sites will divert 12,130 tons of organic waste, recycling and hazardous materials from landfills or incinerators each year. The composting facility will handle 12,000 tons of yard and food waste annually using aerated static pile technology, a method that forces air through compost piles to speed decomposition while reducing odors. The hazardous waste site will process about 98 tons per year, a 25% increase over current collection levels, according to the county.

"This is the type of investment that is going to change behavior and save money across our county," Delaware County Council member Elaine Paul Schaefer said in the announcement. She thanked the county's Department of Sustainability and the Solid Waste Authority for securing the award.

The project, formally called "Transfer Stations Reimagined," is a partnership among the Delaware County Office of Sustainability, the DCSWA, and the county Public Works Department. The SWIFR grant program is funded through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; Delaware County's award was part of a $58 million second round distributed to 17 communities nationwide.

Right now, Radnor and Haverford residents who need to dispose of hazardous materials must wait for periodic collection events. The next scheduled event is Saturday, September 12, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rose Tree Park, 1671 N. Providence Road in Media. Once the Marple Township facility opens, residents across the county will have permanent, year-round access.

The composting facility will accept materials from businesses, municipalities, residents and organizations at a reduced tipping fee. A co-located recycling drop-off center at the Chester Township site will serve residents without curbside collection, processing an estimated 32 additional tons per year.

Delaware County Sustainability Officer Becca Yurkovich said the project supports the county's Zero Waste goals and will include community outreach as the facilities come online. Residents can find more information at delcopa.gov/sustainability and delcoswa.org.