Proper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste

• The safest way to dispose of household hazardous waste is to use the product until it is completely gone.
• If you can’t finish the product, share with neighbors, friends or professionals who may have use for it.
• Read product labels for specific disposal instructions. If stated, follow manufacture’s directions for proper disposal.
• If not stated or if you are unsure about proper disposal of a product, contact the manufacturer or call the HHW facility at 328-3463. 
• Recycle the material whenever possible. If not recyclable, bring it to the HHW/CESQG facility. 

County residents may dispose of their household hazardous waste by bringing it to the facility.

Anyone living in their own home, apartment or condominium may dispose of residential household waste. A property manager, caretaker or landlord does not qualify for residential waste disposal.  As an example, if a landlord brings paint or other waste products left behind by his former tenants, or the owners of the property he is managing, the landlord is required to fill out the CESQG Registration Form. For additional information please see the CESQG page.  Homeowners are required to show proof of residency and must fill out a certification statement prior to, or at the time of, disposal. 

Alkaline batteries above 1.5 volts must have terminals taped prior to drop off.  Prescription drugs (non-controlled substances) and over-the-counter medicines need to have all personal information marked off prior to drop off.

Improper Disposal Risks

When household hazardous waste products are used, stored and disposed of according to manufacturer directions, they pose little or no hazard to people or the environment. However, improper use and disposal of these products endangers the health and safety of people and animals, pollutes neighborhoods and contaminates the environment.

If a household hazardous waste product is flushed down a toilet, sink or drain, it is transported though the sewage system to treatment plants that are not equipped to handle hazardous waste. At treatment plants, hazardous waste interferes with the biological treatment process and can contaminate the effluent that runs into the river and the bio-solids that can’t be reused as fertilizer. When hazardous waste is thrown out into the street, it goes into storm drains leading into waterways.

When hazardous waste is left around the house, it has the potential to injure children and pets. Since household hazardous waste is not regulated by any federal, state or local agency, it can be disposed of with regular trash without any penalty or liability. However, when thrown in with the regular trash, household hazardous waste can injure sanitation workers. It may end up in landfills not intended or permitted for those types of wastes. This can create hazardous leachate which can contaminate groundwater and surface water.

Sinkholes, cisterns and abandoned wells are linked directly to groundwater. Dumping hazardous wastes in these depressions risks direct contamination of groundwater aquifers.

If dumped in a backyard or ditch hazardous waste can poison plants and wildlife, contaminate the soil, compromise the health of humans and animals contacting the soil, and filter through soil and groundwater. If the ground becomes over-saturated, the waste may run overland to the nearest waterway.