Household Hazardous Waste

The Household Hazardous Waste collection center is the result of several years of collaboration between Clatsop County, Recology of Western Oregon, local cities, community organizations, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The facility:

• Provides a means for proper disposal of hazardous toxic wastes;
• Removes unwanted wastes from homes, reducing exposure and injury from hazardous chemicals;
• Eliminates hazardous waste going into residential garbage, thereby reducing the danger to waste collectors and sanitation workers;
• Increases awareness of the common hazardous materials found in most homes, and how these products can impact the health of humans and the environment;
• Provides education on alternative green products that are available, reducing the use of dangerous, hazardous materials in the home.

Household hazardous waste (HHW) is any solid or liquid product which is generated or used in a home that contains one or more of the following properties:

• Flammable/Combustible: Can easily be set on fire or ignited
• Explosive/Reactive: Can detonate or explode through exposure to heat, sudden shock or pressure
• Corrosive/Caustic: Can burn and destroy living tissue
• Toxic/Poisonous: Capable of causing injury or death through ingestion, inhalation or absorption

HHW include cleaning chemicals; paints, stains, and thinner products; pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers; automotive or recreational boat fluids; arts and crafts related solvents and thinners; rechargeable batteries; fluorescent and compact light bulbs or tubes, UV bulbs, and neon lights; and mercury thermometers.

• Medications/pharmaceuticals
• Needles/Syringes - Contact Recology for assistance
• General garbage
• Asbestos
• Explosives/Fireworks

Based on national data from collection programs, a typical breakdown of HHW is:

• 50% paints and paint products
• 20% used motor oil
• 20% solvents, pesticides and herbicides
• 10% batteries, unidentified materials and other miscellaneous items, such as old chemistry sets, photographic materials, and fiberglass epoxy

In general, hazardous wastes collected for proper disposal are either:

• treated and neutralized to less hazardous form;
• burned at high temperatures for destructive incineration;
• burned for energy recovery; or
• reused or recycled; or treated and disposed of at a licensed EPA/DEQ disposal facility.

HHW require special disposal and should always be properly stored. Below are some actions that everyone can take to reduce the amount of hazardous wastes stored in their homes.

• Visit Paint Care for locations to dispose of home paints, stains and sealants.
• Purchase only what you need to reduce the amount that needs to be stored.
• Choose non-toxic products when possible.
• Consider using environmentally-friendly alternatives when possible.
• When storing your hazardous products, put them in a safe place away from children and pets, and keep them in their original containers.
• Always follow recommendations for personal protective equipment to use when using or handling hazardous materials.
• Share unused product with a neighbor or friend to get rid of it all.