This spring if you are working in the basement, under the sink, or in the garage you may come across some household hazardous waste and wonder- what do I do with this?! Household hazardous waste should not be poured down the sink, dumped outside, or disposed of with your household trash. We have two household hazardous waste events each year that are free to all Ontario County residents. Registration is required, please see our events page for more details about the event and registration dates.
So, what exactly is household hazardous waste? Automotive fluids, adhesives, cleaning fluids, epoxies/resins, herbicides/pesticides, nail polish & hair removers, rat/mouse poisons, and mothballs are some examples of household hazardous waste. Batteries, LED & fluorescent lightbulbs, and products containing mercury should also be brought to a household hazardous waste event.
Items that are not accepted at the household hazardous waste events are tires*, compressed gas cylinders, explosives, ammunition, radioactive wastes, pathological wastes, infectious waste, medicines*, and freon containing devices. *Other collection programs exist for some materials.
One of the most common things you may need to dispose of are paints, primers, stains, and varnishes. While we do accept these materials at our household hazardous waste events, there is no need to wait for an event to properly dispose of these materials. There are free and convenient drop off locations at local businesses that are open year-round. For a full list of accepted materials and drop-off locations click here.