Spring Cleaning: Household Hazardous Waste Edition

Brought to You by Zero Waste Marin

The time for spring cleaning is here! Those of us who are tackling a garage or storage closet cleanout might find some expired or non-working products that need to be discarded. However, several items don’t belong in any of your waste bins at home and are designated as household hazardous waste (HHW). This month, we are highlighting several common HHW items and how to dispose of them properly and safely.

First, what is household hazardous waste?
HHW is waste from household products that have properties that make it potentially dangerous or harmful to human health or the environment. It can be liquids, solids, or gases. The EPA uses the following characteristics to define hazardous waste:

• Ignitability – Liquids or solids that are flammable or combustible.
• Corrosivity – Highly reactive substances that cause rust, corrosion, and noticeable damage to living tissue; acids and bases are common corrosive materials.
• Reactivity – Substances that, when mixed, create toxic, unstable, or explosive reactions.
• Toxicity – Poisonous materials.

What are some common examples of HHW items, and how can they be disposed of?
Below is a list of some items you might find during your spring cleaning. All these items can be dropped off at the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility in San Rafael. Novato residents must bring them to the Novato Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Some of the products below have additional programs and/or drop-off sites.

• Paint and Paint Related Products
  • Paint products like acrylic, latex, oil-based, primers, and sealers may seem harmless sitting in your garage, but they should be disposed of carefully. All Marin residents can take paint to a PaintCare drop-off site. Please call your store of choice in advance and ask about the accepted limits.
• Cleaning chemicals and Gardening Products
  • Found some half-used cleaning products and leftover garden sprays from previous spring cleaning and planting? The products below can also go to your HHW facility.
  • Any detergents, bleach-based cleaners, ammonia, tile cleaners, tub cleaners, window cleaners, oven cleaners, polishes, and air fresheners.
  • Gardening products such as fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides, insecticides, and rodenticides.
• Dead batteries and light bulbs
  • In Marin County, there is a Bulb and Battery Take-Back Program, which is designed to encourage residents to properly recycle their used household batteries, compact fluorescent lamps, and fluorescent tubes – free of charge at convenient retail locations. See the list of locations on our website.
  • Note that car batteries are not accepted through this program but can be dropped off at the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility in San Rafael. Novato residents must bring them to the Novato Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
  • To learn more about how to safely dispose of batteries, including e-bike batteries, and find additional battery locations in the County, visit TheBatteryNetwork.
• Used motor oil and oil filters
  • Pouring oil down a drain or into the soil isn’t just harmful, it’s illegal! The good news? Zero Waste Marin makes doing the right thing easy and free!
    • First, drain used motor oil into a clean, secure container with a tight lid.
    • Do not mix with any additional materials such as anti-freeze, hydraulic fluid, or gasoline, as this will prevent the motor oil from being recycled.
    • Next, place your used oil filter in a sealed plastic bag.
    • Lastly, drop off both at your HHW facility.
    • You can also request a free motor oil and filter recycling kit by emailing Zero Waste Marin!
  • Zero Waste Marin has a Marine Oil Absorbent Exchange Program where boaters can get a free absorbent pillow or pad to place in the bilge. You can pick up an absorbent at the San Rafael Yacht Harbor (San Rafael) or the Clipper Yacht Harbor (Sausalito). Once it’s full, simply bring it back to either location. They’ll safely dispose of the oily pad and provide you with a fresh one at no cost.
• Electronics
  • Electronics contain hazardous materials that can harm the environment if not disposed of properly. In California, it is illegal to throw electronics in the landfill. First, see if the electronics listed below can be repaired, sold, or donated before dropping them off at your HHW facility.
    • Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs, DVD players, and video cassette recorders
    • Computer monitors and peripherals
    • Laptops, printers, and fax machines
    • Wireless telephones, cell phones, and answering machines
    • Stereo equipment, jump box, iPods, and tablets
    • Microwaves, calculators, cables, and wires
    • Electric items, such as small appliances like toasters, blenders, and hair dryers, are not accepted at the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility, but they may be dropped off for recycling for a fee at the Marin Resource Recovery Center. Computers can be dropped off at Renew Computers in San Rafael or the eWasteCollective in Novato.

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