Some household consumer products contain chemicals that can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health once they enter landfills or solid waste incinerators. While industrial sources of hazardous waste are strictly regulated, we rely on residents to identify and properly dispose of household hazardous waste. Do not throw any hazardous waste in the trash; instead, bring it to a local collection site.
Each county in Minnesota administers a household hazardous waste program to help prevent hazardous chemicals from getting into the environment and harming human health. Some counties have year-round collection facilities with regular hours, while others have seasonal facilities or events. Visit your county’s website and search for household hazardous waste (HHW) for more information. County household hazardous waste programs can also advise on safe transport of household hazardous waste and can be a great resource to find other collection options at retail or special cleanup events.
Identifying household hazardous waste
It’s not always easy to tell if a product needs to be treated as household hazardous waste. Look for words on the label such as: caution, warning, danger, poison, flammable, reactive, corrosive, or toxic. If you see any of these words, you should bring the waste or unused product to your local collection site.
Below is a list of some common products that are generally considered household hazardous waste. Contact your local household hazardous waste program for specific questions about what is considered HHW.
Read more: Safely dispose of household hazardous waste
