What is Hazardous Waste?
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Proper storage and disposal of hazardous waste is essential to the long-term health of Vermont's soil, air, and water. Read on to find out what household hazardous waste is, how to store it, and how to properly dispose of it.
What is Household Hazardous Waste?
Look for the words “Danger,” “Poison,” or “Caution/Warning” on the label. If you see any of those words, consider it hazardous waste. Examples include: Bleach products (including tub, tile & toilet cleaners and laundry soaps), drain openers, oven cleaners, floor wax, solvents, tar, adhesives, pesticides, aerosols, moth balls, gasoline, kerosene, used or contaminated oil, degreasers, polishes, transmission fluid, brake fluid, spray paint. Events*
We offer multiple annual events for collection hazardous waste and other hard-to-dispose of materials from May to October. Collections are open to residents of all member towns. Fees are $20 per car load for most residential loads. Paint Paint is now collected seperately from hazardous waste. It will soon be collected at your point of purchase, as well as year round at the ARCC. See our schedule for special paint, battery, and fluorescent bulb collections. *Please note: Schools and small businesses must call ahead to pre-register for these events. Small businesses must be a Conditionally Exempt Generator (CEG). Learn more at the State of Vermont's website. Questions? Call 802.229.9383. |
The National Institutes for Health has a Household Products Database (search-able) and is a wonderful resource for learning about specific toxic ingredients in products commonly found around the home.
How should I store it?
Safe storage of hazardous products between uses or between collections is vital to keeping your home environment healthy.
General Guidelines:
• Keep items out of reach of children and pets. Stacking paint cans on top of each other, especially on high shelves, can be risky. Try a lidded box to prevent access instead.
• If possible, store items away from living spaces.
• Make sure all lids and caps are tight to prevent the product and vapors/odors from leaking into living spaces.
• Keep items away from heat sources (for safety), freezing temperatures (to prolong product life), and flood prone areas (to prevent contamination of water and soil).
• Paint stored upside down (with lid firmly in place!) will keep it fresher. Oil-based paint can remain useable up to 15 years if stored properly, so a little care can keep the product useable.
Safe storage of hazardous products between uses or between collections is vital to keeping your home environment healthy.
General Guidelines:
• Keep items out of reach of children and pets. Stacking paint cans on top of each other, especially on high shelves, can be risky. Try a lidded box to prevent access instead.
• If possible, store items away from living spaces.
• Make sure all lids and caps are tight to prevent the product and vapors/odors from leaking into living spaces.
• Keep items away from heat sources (for safety), freezing temperatures (to prolong product life), and flood prone areas (to prevent contamination of water and soil).
• Paint stored upside down (with lid firmly in place!) will keep it fresher. Oil-based paint can remain useable up to 15 years if stored properly, so a little care can keep the product useable.
Common Examples of Household Hazardous Waste
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You do not need bring any empty bottles or cans to a collection; these items should be put in with your regular trash. |
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Automotive products:Gasoline, kerosene, contaminated auto oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid. These should be taken to a Hazardous Waste Collection!
Used Oil can be recycled at the following locations:
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Products containing mercury:
• Fluorescent light bulbs- bring to Paint, Battery, Bulb Collections or to the ARCC
*If you break a fluorescent bulb, follow the Broken Bulb Guidelines from the VT Agency of Natural Resources. **Unbroken fluorescent bulbs are accepted year-round at some hardware stores and lighting retail stores; see fluorescent bulb recycling options for details. • Mercury thermometers - Bring these to a Hazardous Waste Event. • Mercury containing thermostats - We collect these year round at our office. Bring one in to get a $5 rebate coupon. If you can't do that, you can bring them to a Hazardous Waste Collection or drop them off at one of these other locations. *For more information and to learn about year round collections of mercury containing items, see VT DEC Mercury Education website. |
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Smoke Detectors: Because many of these contain small amounts of radioactive materials (Americium 241), we cannot accept these at our events. While households may still dispose of these in their trash, we strongly advise residents and businesses in our district to mail them back to the manufacturer as a best practice. Others are banned from throwing them in the landfill. Please visit the VT Department of Environmental Conservation's Smoke Detector page to learn more about proper handling and disposal. Contact the Operations Manager at 800.730.9475 x 105 to find out more .
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Hey Sugarers! Vermont Solid Waste Districts and the VT Department of Agriculture are offering a program to assist producers of maple products with getting rid of their old mercury containing candy thermometers. Bring your old UNBROKEN ones to our office or one of our Hazardous Waste Events and we will recycle it for free! Questions? Contact the Program Manager at 800.730.9475 x 106.
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Create Less! See our booklet, Non-toxic Household Cleaners, for more information on how to reduce the amount of poisonous cleaners you use. Also check out this great video below from The Green Guide@howdini.com.
