Managing Hazardous Waste

We protect the environment and communities by ensuring compliance with hazardous waste laws

Household Hazardous Waste

On this page…

What is household hazardous waste (HHW)?
Hazardous wastes in your home
HHW facilities in California
Pollution prevention (P2)
Choosing safer alternative household products
Legislation and regulations
Additional resources

Information for local agencies and contractors

Collecting very small quantity generator waste at HHW facilities
Collecting electronic waste at HHW facilities
Who enforces HHW laws and regulations?

What is household hazardous waste?

Household hazardous waste (HHW) is a waste generated by you as a resident and household. You may generate this waste while performing tasks in and around your home. These tasks may include, but are not limited to:

Cleaning

Home improvement

Car maintenance

Household hazardous waste DOES NOT include waste generated while operating a business at your home. [Health and Safety Code § 25218.1(d)]

It is illegal to dispose of household hazardous waste in the trash, down the drain, or by abandonment.

You may not realize that many common household products are hazardous. When you dispose of these products, they become “household hazardous waste,” or HHW. These wastes may cause harm to human health and the environment if you handle or dispose of these products incorrectly. You must bring your HHW to a household hazardous waste facility (HHWF).

Hazardous wastes in your home

Common household hazardous wastes include but are not limited to:

Antifreeze
Batteries
Drain cleaners
Electronic wastes (e.g., TVs, computer monitors, cell phones)
Glue and adhesives
Household cleaners
Oven cleaners

Paints
Pesticides
Pool cleaners
Solvents
Used oil
Waste containing asbestos
Wastes containing mercury (e.g., thermometers, fluorescent lights)

Identifying household hazardous waste

Warnings on the product label may help to identify hazardous household products.

The household product is likely hazardous if the label information reads:

Danger
Poison/Toxic → even a little bit can be poisonous when ingested (i.e., eaten, drank), absorbed through skin, or inhaled
Corrosive/Acid → “eats” or wears away at many materials including living tissue (e.g., skin)
Reactive/Explosive → could be explosive or produce deadly gas
Ignitable/Flammable → can easily catch fire
Environmental hazard
Caution/Warning

Possible hazard symbols

Check with your local HHW program if you do not know if a product is a household hazardous waste. DO NOT put it in the trash, pour it down the drain, or abandon it elsewhere.

For more information on your local HHW program(s), contact your local HHW facility.

Who collects household hazardous waste?

Many cities and counties have developed programs to collect, recycle, or properly dispose of household hazardous waste. They may also collect hazardous waste generated by small businesses that are exempt from regular hazardous waste management requirements.

Types of household hazardous waste facilities

There are six different types of household hazardous waste collection facilities (HHWCFs). Click on the facility types below to learn more about each type of HHWCF.

Find a household hazardous waste facility near you!

Tips

Use the search bar at the top to search for your location of interest. You may need to zoom out to find the nearest HHW(s).
Select the expand arrow to the right of each result in the results panel to view more details about each location.
Select a point on the map to highlight it and get more information in the results panel.

Full-screen map - Click here

Notes

Many HHW facilities have set days and hours when they will accept HHW from the public. Some facilities may have daily limits of HHW that they can accept before closing their drop-offs.
Some HHW facilities only hold events once or twice a year. Many facilities require an appointment to drop-off your HHW. An appointment is required for door-to-door and curbside HHW pickup services.
HHW facility locations may vary depending on facility type and handling activities.

If you have any questions about your local HHW programs, contact your local HHW or waste pickup providers.

Additional resources for finding household hazardous waste facilities near you

You may also find these resources helpful in learning more about where and how to dispose of your HHW.

Earth911 recycling search
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Information – CalRecycle
E-waste recycler locator – CalRecycle
Directory of universal waste electronic device handlers – DTSC

Earth911 recycling search
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Information – CalRecycle
E-waste recycler locator – CalRecycle
Directory of universal waste electronic device handlers – DTSC

Pollution prevention (P2)

What is pollution prevention (P2)?

Source: US EPA

“Pollution prevention (P2) is any practice that reduces, eliminates, or prevents pollution at its source before it is created.”

If possible, P2 is preferable over recycling, treatment, or disposal.
Preventing pollution is often cheaper than paying to control, treat, and dispose of waste products.
Less pollution = fewer impacts to human health and the environment

Source: US EPA

Pollution prevention in the garden

Pollution prevention in the house

Pollution prevention in the office

Pollution prevention on the road

National Pollution Prevention (P2) Week

National Pollution Prevention (P2) Week – US EPA

To learn more about pollution prevention (P2) and the various ways that you can contribute to P2, visit the EPA’s Pollution Prevention (P2) website.

DTSC and pollution prevention

DTSC ended our Pollution Prevention Program in 2013. This is when we established our Safer Consumer Products Program. Visit our Safer Consumer Products Program webpage(s) to learn more.

Choosing safer alternative household products

You can prevent the generation of HHW by using safer alternative household products.

The US EPA’s Safer Choice Program aims to help “consumers, businesses, and purchasers find products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.” Their resources will help you find “Safer Choice” products to use around the house. You can identify products in the program by the Safer Choice label.

Information for local agencies and contractors

Collecting very small quantity generator waste at household hazardous waste collection facilities

Household hazardous waste collection facilities (HHWCFs) may be authorized to receive waste from very small quantity generators (VSQGs); however, HHWCFs are not required to accept VSQG waste and may limit the types and amounts of household hazardous waste (HHW) that are accepted.

Note The VSQG exemption in federal law limits a VSQG’s hazardous waste accumulation. This limit is 100 kg of non-acute hazardous waste (or 1 kg acute hazardous waste) at any time.

Learn more about these federal VSQG exemption accumulation limits.

Transporting VSQG waste to an HHWCF

Self-transporting hazardous waste to an HHWCF
- A VSQG may self-transport up to 100 kg of hazardous waste per month to an HHWCF. In this case, the VSQG does not need to register as a hazardous waste transporter. The VSQG also does not need to use a hazardous waste manifest.
Using a transporter to transport hazardous waste to an HHWCF
- An HHWCF may receive hazardous waste from a VSQG by a registered transporter. In this case, the VSQG and registered transporter must use a hazardous waste manifest.

Collecting electronic waste at household hazardous waste facilities

If you plan to collect electronic waste (e-waste) at an HHW facility or temporary event, you must:

Submit a Notification of Intent (NOI) to DTSC at least 30 days in advance.
Submit an Annual Report to DTSC. This report details the e-waste handling activities you performed during the calendar year.
Complete and submit Form 303 (A or B based on your jurisdiction) to CalRecycle, annually.

You can use our online Universal Waste Electronic Devices (UWED) system to submit your notifications and reports. You can use the the links below to learn more about e-waste handling requirements.



Requirements for e-waste handlers

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NOI fact sheet & FAQs

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Annual Report fact sheet & FAQs

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UWED Notification and Reporting System

Who enforces HHW laws and regulations?

DTSC is the state agency responsible for ensuring the safe and responsible management of HHW. At a local level, Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPAs) oversee the management of HHW.