Hazardous Waste
What is Hazardous Waste?
Protect wildlife and human health by keeping hazardous waste out of waterways and the environment.Hazardous wastes have flammable, toxic, corrosive and reactive properties which present a variety of human and environmental health risks. They need to be managed properly to keep harmful waste out of the environment and should never be placed in garbage or recycling bins.
Many items used around the home, including cleaning, gardening, and automotive products are hazardous waste, some examples are aerosols, anti-freeze, fertilizers, motor oil, paint supplies, photo chemicals, poisons and solvents. To identify these wastes, look for warning, caution and/or danger labels.
To learn more about household and business hazardous waste visit these pages.
Common hazardous items
NOTE: not all of these items are accepted at the household hazardous waste collection events. Please check the schedule.
- ammunition (small arms)
- antifreeze
- aerosols, air fresheners, and deodorizers
- art, craft, and hobby chemicals
- batteries - vehicle, rechargeable, button, alkaline batteries
- beauty products such as fingernail polish and remover, and some hair products
- cleaners (bleach, detergents, degreasers, disinfectants, drain cleaners, deck cleaners, hand cleaners, oven cleaners, polishes, waxes)
- colorants and tints
- compressed gas cylinders
- explosives, fireworks, and flares
- fire extinguishers
- flea control products
- fluorescent, lamps, tubes. light ballasts—please remove from the light fixture
- gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuels, lighter fluid
- glues, epoxies, adhesives, and caulking compounds
- lawn and garden chemicals (moss killers, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, poisons)
- mercury (items containing mercury can include ballasts, barometers, blood pressure gauges, fluorescent lights, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, silent wall switches, thermometers-medical and household, thermostats)
- motor oil, lubricating oils, windshield cleaners, brake fluid, transmission fluid, antifreeze
- pool and spa chemicals
- propane tanks and bottles
- paint and paint products (latex and acrylic paint, spray paint, marine paint, automotive paint, oil-based paint, enamel, stains, lacquers, shellacs, varnishes, primers, wood preservatives, paint additives)
- poisons
- roof patching and repair materials
- solvents, resins, thinners, mineral spirits
- tar, pitch, and bitumen-based products
How to reduce your use of hazardous waste
- choose less-toxic products and ways to clean, maintain, repair, and improve your home, control pests, and care for your pets
- select or make your own safer alternative products when you can
- buy only what you need and will use in a reasonable amount of time
- share leftovers with those who need them
Helpful resources
General Information
Phone Numbers
503-397-7259