Donate
Use items that can still be used or donate them to someone you know will use them properly and lawfully. Common options for donating include offering paints, stains, cleansers, electronics, etc. to local parks, churches, art counsels, non-profit housing authorities, shelters, and neighbors. Some products, like prescription medications, do not have donation options. Only chemotherapy agents are eligible for donation.
Retail
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, auto parts stores, and pharmacies.
Local Government
Search EGLE's list of government hosted collection contacts for nearby collection options for materials like mercury, solvents, gasoline, and acids. If nothing is listed for your area, call your local city, township, and county to see if they offer this service. If needed, safely store the materials until a collection is offered, or see if another area will assist for a fee for out of area residents.
Some collections are limited to specific materials. For additional resources for finding collections that are material specific, please see below. To understand the hazards associated with a material, see our household hazardous waste website. To quickly learn what is a hazardous waste, see our Hazardous Waste 101 YouTube video.
Medications and Sharps/Needles
Search the EGLE household drug take back map for these items. Use the short YouTube video to quickly learn how to use the map which is also available in list view with instructions for filtering the data.
Pesticides
See the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Clean Sweep map for pesticide collection options across the state that accept pesticides for Michigan residents.
E-Waste
Use EGLE's e-waste manufacturer and recycler lists to find recycling options for e-waste.
The Michigan Recycling Directory and Earth 911 are searchable directories that may be helpful for finding recycling solutions for some household hazardous waste and other unique items like mattresses, bulk appliances, animal and vegetable oils, and more.
If safely storing your materials for the next collection is not an option and the resources above do not offer a solution, contact the vendors your local officials would use for hosting a collection or contact your local hazardous waste inspector for help.
Additional Resources