What counts as Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)?

Solvents, pesticides, paint, motor oil, antifreeze, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, cleaners, and pool chemicals. Look for words like 'Danger', 'Toxic', 'Corrosive', or 'Flammable' on the label. Worth knowing: household waste is excluded from federal hazardous waste regulation, so the binding rules come from your state and county rather than from EPA, which is why disposal answers differ so much by location.

Are medicine/pharmaceuticals hazardous?

Yes. Flushing meds pollutes waterways. Use official 'Take-Back' days at pharmacies or police stations. Some areas allow mailing them back in special envelopes.

Does it cost money to drop off hazardous waste?

For residents, it's often free (paid by taxes), but proof of residency is required. Businesses typically have to pay a fee. Check your county's solid waste website for details.

What should I do if a container is leaking?

Place the leaking container inside a larger, non-corrodible container (like a plastic bucket) with a lid. Label the outer container with the contents. Wear gloves and eye protection.

All materials

How to Recycle Hazardous

Q: Can I throw latex paint in the trash?

Liquid paint never goes in the trash. Dried latex usually can, and most agencies publish drying methods using cat litter, sawdust, or a paint hardener. California is the exception: CalRecycle treats latex paint as presumed hazardous and prohibits intentionally drying it without a permit to treat hazardous waste. Oil-based paint is always hazardous waste. If you live in one of the 12 states or the District of Columbia where PaintCare operates, it takes both types free at participating retailers.

Q: How do I transport hazardous waste safely?

Keep products in their original labeled containers and never combine them. Stand them upright in a box lined with plastic so a tip does not become a spill. Carry them in a trunk or cargo area away from passengers, with one important exception: propane cylinders travel upright in a ventilated space rather than a sealed trunk. Do not smoke, and go straight there rather than leaving chemicals in a hot car.

Paint, pesticides, solvents, pool chemicals, and pressurized cylinders. Household waste is exempt from federal hazardous waste rules, so your county sets the answer, and it varies more than any other category.

15 materials covered4 recyclable

Paint

Latex and oil-based architectural paint, plus primers and single-component finishes. The one hazardous material with a real nationwide take-back program, in the states that have adopted it.

Learn how to recycle Paint

Pesticides

Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, rodenticides, and weed-and-feed products. Regulated under federal pesticide law, where the product label carries binding legal force.

Learn how to recycle Pesticides

Household Cleaners

Bleach, ammonia, drain and oven cleaners, disinfectants, and general purpose sprays. Mostly a mixing hazard rather than a disposal problem.

Learn how to recycle Household Cleaners

Pool Chemicals

Chlorine tablets and granules, calcium hypochlorite shock, muriatic acid, algaecides, and pH adjusters. Oxidizers, which behave differently from ordinary toxic chemicals.

Learn how to recycle Pool Chemicals

Propane Tanks

One-pound camping cylinders, 20 lb grill tanks, and larger vessels. Two very different disposal problems that share a page.

Learn how to recycle Propane Tanks

Aerosol Cans

Spray paint, lubricants, air fresheners, pesticide sprays, and other pressurized cans. Whether the can is genuinely empty decides the route, and the contents decide whether emptying it is even appropriate.

Learn how to recycle Aerosol Cans

Fluorescent Tubes

Linear fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs. Mercury-bearing, banned from landfill in six states, and the household lamp most often thrown away incorrectly.

Learn how to recycle Fluorescent Tubes

Thermostats

Wall thermostats containing mercury tilt switches, plus modern digital units. The mercury quantity here dwarfs every other household source.

Learn how to recycle Thermostats

Smoke Detectors

Ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms, including sealed ten-year lithium units. The disposal answer is more permissive than the internet suggests, and the reason is regulatory rather than reassuring hand-waving.

Learn how to recycle Smoke Detectors

Fire Extinguishers

ABC dry chemical, CO2, halon, water, and wet chemical extinguishers. Pressurized vessels where recharging usually beats replacing.

Learn how to recycle Fire Extinguishers

Automotive Fluids

Motor oil, oil filters, transmission and gear oil, power steering and hydraulic fluid, antifreeze, and brake fluid. Two different disposal routes that people routinely mix up.

Learn how to recycle Automotive Fluids

Nail Polish/Remover

Nail polish, acetone and non-acetone removers, and related cosmetic solvents. Small volumes, but genuinely flammable and not drain material.

Learn how to recycle Nail Polish/Remover

Wood Stain/Varnish

Oil-based stains, varnishes, polyurethane, shellac, lacquer, and their thinners. The category where the leftover rags are more dangerous than the leftover product.

Learn how to recycle Wood Stain/Varnish

Adhesives/Glues

Water-based school and wood glues, solvent-based contact and construction adhesives, cyanoacrylate, and two-part epoxy. The split between them decides the disposal route.

Learn how to recycle Adhesives/Glues

Fertilizers

Granular and liquid lawn and garden fertilizer, and combination weed-and-feed products. The distinction between them decides whether this is hazardous waste at all.

Learn how to recycle Fertilizers

Find Hazardous Recycling Centers Near You

Ready to recycle your hazardous materials? Use our search tool to find nearby recycling centers that accept these items.

Find Centers Near Me Search Hazardous Centers

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Safety

HHW must NEVER be put in the trash, recycling bin, or poured down the drain. It endangers sanitation workers and contaminates the water supply.

Common HHW Items

Oil-based paints and thinners
Pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers
Motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline
Fluorescent bulbs (mercury)
Pool chemicals, strong sealants

Safety Tips

Keep in original, labeled containers
Do not mix products! Dangerous reactions can occur
Store upright in a cool, dry place out of reach of children
Transport in a plastic-lined box in your trunk

Hazardous Waste FAQ

Can I throw latex paint in the trash?

Liquid paint? No. Dried paint? Usually yes. You can mix latex paint with kitty litter or sawdust to solidify it, then trash it. Oil-based paint is ALWAYS hazardous and must go to a facility.

How do I transport hazardous waste safely?

Keep products in original containers. Don't mix them! Place them upright in a box lined with plastic. Transport in your trunk, not the passenger cabin. Don't smoke while transporting flammables.

Where do I take HHW?

Look for your county's "Household Hazardous Waste" facility or collection events. Many auto parts stores accept motor oil and batteries for free. Lighting stores may take bulbs.

Are medicines hazardous?

Yes. Flushing meds pollutes waterways. Use official "Take-Back" days at pharmacies or police stations to dispose of pharmaceuticals safely.

How to Recycle Hazardous

Find Hazardous Recycling Centers Near You

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Safety

Common HHW Items

Safety Tips

Hazardous Waste FAQ

Can I throw latex paint in the trash?

How do I transport hazardous waste safely?

Where do I take HHW?

Are medicines hazardous?

What's your junk car actually worth?

How to Recycle Hazardous

Find Hazardous Recycling Centers Near You

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Safety

Common HHW Items

Safety Tips

Hazardous Waste FAQ

Can I throw latex paint in the trash?

How do I transport hazardous waste safely?

Where do I take HHW?

Are medicines hazardous?

What's your junk car actually worth?