Household Hazardous Waste

Saying goodbye to everyday household products often takes a few simple steps: throwing them away in a nearby trash can or recycling bin. But what about more complex items like chemicals or batteries? These products are household hazardous waste (HHW) and should be carefully disposed of to protect you and the planet.

Household hazardous waste contains toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive ingredients. While it may be more convenient, tossing these in standard trash cans is dangerous to our land, air, and water systems. HHW includes items you don’t typically buy regularly but need attention when replacing them.

Let’s talk about some common types of HHW and how you can dispose of and recycle them in an eco-friendly way:

Used motor oil

Protect our waterways by carefully disposing of used motor oil. Locate your state’s used oil collection site or find a nearby auto parts store that offers disposal options. 

Latex and oil-based paints

These can be disposed of at your county’s HHW site, or you can choose to upcycle them! Local schools, community centers, artist studios, and more often accept used paint. Be sure not to pour them down drains, which can harm our water systems. 

Pesticides

Pesticides should also never be poured down the drain and instead be taken to the HHW in your county. When collecting these for their trip to the disposal site, watch out for mixing them with other liquids, as they can cause toxic chemical reactions.

Fluorescent bulbs

HHW sites accept fluorescent bulbs, but watch that these don’t break in getting them there! Crushing fluorescent bulbs releases harmful mercury vapor, so consider wearing protective eyewear to be safe while securing them.

Batteries

Aside from alkaline batteries, which can be thrown in an average trash can, ion or rechargeable batteries should be taken to community collection centers or HHW sites. Explore Call2Recycle for ways to drop off or ship old batteries. See an overview from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection about safely disposing of used batteries. 

For our friends in the greater Tampa Bay area, view the household hazardous waste facilities in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Manatee, and Pasco counties. 

Thank you for continuing to learn how to take small steps toward sustainability!

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