HAZARDOUS WASTE

Many products used in our homes contain hazardous chemicals. The average family has more than 60 hazardous products at home, including such common items as disinfectants, pesticides, toilet cleaners, oil-based paints, and motor oil. You can identify hazardous products by reading the labels. Products labeled Danger, Warning, or Caution warn of potential hazards if the chemical product is misused, spilled, or disposed of improperly. It is important to handle these products with care to prevent harm to yourself, other living things, and our environment.

At the time of disposal, these products are called Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). When hazardous waste products are thrown into the garbage, onto the ground, or down storm drains, they can contaminate our air and water and pose a threat to human health and wildlife.

Waste oil, antifreeze, vehicle batteries, pesticides, paints, gasoline, cleaners and other household hazardous wastes are accepted at the following disposal sites in the household hazardous waste area, no charge:

Valley Transfer Station - 3941 North Sullivan
North County Transfer Station - 22123 Elk-Chattaroy Road
Waste-to-Energy Facility - 2900 South Geiger Blvd.
Materials should be in leak-proof containers with the contents labeled on the outside. No containers greater than 5 gallons. If you would like your gasoline, waste oil or antifreeze container returned, just ask the attendant. Sorry, other waste containers cannot be emptied and returned.

Hours of operation at all three sites are:
7:00 a.m. till 4:30 p.m., Seven days a week except major holidays

Reuse: Each site has a re-use table were you may take items for FREE. Just sign a waste exchange form.

Paint: Paints may be taken to the household hazardous waste areas OR just thrown in with your regular solid waste. Check with your solid waste collector to see if full cans of paint are acceptable.

What happens to the household hazardous waste?
Those items that cannot be re-used are either recycled, like antifreeze and vehicle batteries, or disposed of at a licensed hazardous waste disposal facility.

Household Hazardous Waste Areas at Waste To Energy Stations:

The Waste to Energy plant and the two transfer stations each have a recycling/household hazardous waste (HHW) facility which is open to the public during the same hours as the disposal sites. These recycling/HHW facilities are accessed without crossing the scales and materials are accepted without charge.

Household Hazardous Waste Handling:

The adjacent household hazardous waste area in the Recycling Centers at the Transfer Stations and the Waste to Energy plant accepts household batteries, automotive batteries, motor oil, paints and solvents, and other household hazardous waste. Items are placed in a designated drop-off area for the public and transferred to a secure storage building by a trained employee.

Specially trained personnel sort and package the material for shipment to a hazardous waste landfill or incinerator. In some cases, the materials (such as oil, vehicle batteries, button-cell batteries, etc.) may be prepared for recycling

Refrigerant Recovery Program:

Refrigerant containing appliances, such as refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners, are accepted at both transfer stations and the waste to energy plant. Disposal fees are based on the weight of the appliance and the current disposal rate. Once the units are dropped off, the refrigerants are recovered and reclaimed while the remaining carcass is sent to a local metals recycler.