Household Hazardous Waste
Household hazardous waste (HHW) is the unused or leftover portion of any hazardous chemicals or materials. Any leftover household product that is labeled with DANGER, WARNING, TOXIC, CAUTION, POISON, FLAMMABLE, CORROSIVE, or REACTIVE is considered a household hazardous waste.
Examples of HHW are listed below:
- Aerosol Cans
- Automotive Fluids
- Batteries (auto, household, & rechargeable)
- Computer, Monitors and Televisions
- Fluorescent Lamps - including tubes and Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)
- Household Cleaners
- Mercury Items (including thermometers & thermostats)
- Motor Oil & Oil Filters
- Paint & Stains (latex & oil)
- Pool Chemicals
HHW Disposal Locations or Contacts:
- Unincorporated Area Residents (Such as: Alpine, Fallbrook, Julian, Ramona, etc.)
- City Residents (Such as: San Diego, Poway, Escondido, El Cajon, Chula Vista, etc.)
Reduce, Reuse & Recycle
Reduce the amount of hazardous products that you purchase. Reuse the materials that you have on hand. Recycle your waste and dispose properly at collection sites.
Read product labels to learn about product uses and dangers before you purchase a product.
- Choose safer, less toxic alternative products.
- If you must purchase hazardous products, buy only the amount you need for the task and use it all so you can help eliminate HHW.
- Always store all your household chemicals in a protected and secure area away from children, pets, and appliance pilot lights to prevent poisonings and home fires.
Safe and Legal Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste
- Protects you and your family's health
- Keeps our water clean and reduces stormwater pollution
- Preserves our environment
NEW!! Paint Stewardship Program: "PaintCare"
Recycle your leftover paint with PaintCare, an industry sponsored paint stewardship non-profit program established to manage the reuse, recycling and proper disposal of unused architectural paint. PaintCare has established hundreds of drop-off sites at paint retail stores, government-run household hazardous waste facilities, and other locations across California. These sites accept program products (primarily latex and oil based paint) in containers of 5 gallons or less from all residents and certain businesses.
For more information on PaintCare: http://www.paintcare.org
For Additional Disposal Information:
Household Hazardous Waste Hotline
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