Where can I take my household hazardous waste?

Is your product considered household hazardous waste?

If you have household hazardous waste, you have several options:

1. Donation
2. Retail collection
3. Local household hazardous waste collections

Donation

For items that can still be used lawfully, consider donating them to someone you know will use them properly. 

Common options for donating include offering paints, stains, cleansers, electronics, etc. to local parks, churches, art counsels, non-profit housing authorities, shelters, and neighbors.

Retail collection

Many retailers offer services for recycling or disposing of household items when you purchase a replacement item.

Look for these options when shopping for new items like electronics, batteries, light bulbs, medications, motor oil, and antifreeze at department, hardware and auto parts stores, or pharmacies.

For example, Michigan's Battery Disposal law requires retailers and auto repair shops that sell batteries to provide recycling options for their customers. This makes it easy to recycle lead acid batteries as you can take them to the store where you purchase the replacement battery.

Local household hazardous waste collections

There are two types of local collection or drop-off locations:

1. Through your local government (municipality or county), or 
2. Through a commercial recycler

These locations may not be permanent. Many collections are temporary or seasonal. Always call your local collection contact before traveling to a listed drop-off location.