About Household Hazardous Waste

Materials that are toxic, corrosive, or flammable are marked as hazardous waste. To avoid serious health and environmental risk, these items should not be disposed of in regular trash, down the drain, or on the ground.

Common household products that are recognized as hazardous include:

Pesticides
Vehicle and engine fluids – gasoline, motor oil, antifreeze
Construction & building products – varnish, paint thinner, paint stripper, adhesives
Cleaning Products – Drain cleaner, ammonia, bleach
Lawn and pool chemicals

Disposing of Household Hazardous Waste

Disposing of hazardous items or materials into regular trash poses major health and environmental risks. Portage County Solid Waste and Recycling accepts some hazardous waste for disposal, and there are many facilities across Portage County that offer further hazardous waste handling and disposal. To see a detailed listing of what we accept, as well as other locations for hazardous waste drop-off, visit our ‘What do I do With?’ page.

Benefits of Properly Disposing of Household Hazardous Waste

Preventing pollution and reducing major health and environmental risks are prominent benefits to properly disposing of household hazardous wastes. In addition, recycling these wastes leads to a conservation of energy, as the production of these hazardous materials requires a significant use of energy.