Household Hazardous Waste Program
A history of the Cuyahoga County Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Program and program guidelines for city service departments.
Since 1997, the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District has provided a program for proper disposal of household hazardous waste materials.
The Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Program is free to all Cuyahoga County households and provides the environmentally-safe disposal of hazardous, poisonous or toxic household products that cannot be disposed in the regular trash.
In Cuyahoga County, the collection and disposal of household hazardous waste has evolved over the years. In the early years of the program, the Solid Waste District held seasonal collection events at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. In 2010, the Solid Waste District opened a Special Waste Convenience Center for year-round disposal of household hazardous waste.
The District partners with the 59 communities in the county for disposal of household hazardous wastes (HHW). HHW is collected from residents by the city service department and is delivered to the District's year-round Special Waste Convenience Center. Collection events are held only at city service departments; the District's facility is not open to the general public. Most communities only accept and manage waste from their own residents.
Household Waste vs. Non-Household Waste
Household hazardous wastes are materials that are marked dangerous, caustic, or flammable.
The District can only accept materials that originated from a household and not a commercial source. In accordance with Federal Law, our contractor is not allowed to accept or transport business waste with household waste due to EPA classifications. Currently, household hazardous wastes are not regulated and are exempt from RCRA classification.
“Household” sources are defined as single and multiple residences. The law defines “non-household sources” to include schools, farms, universities, churches, doctor and dentist offices, government facilities, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, commercial businesses (both small and large), and manufacturing facilities.
Businesses and organizations with hazardous waste can find disposal options by calling our business recycling specialist at (216) 443-3732.
HHW Guidelines for City Service Departments
The Solid Waste District has developed materials and documents to help our communities and their service departments operate their HHW collection events.
Waste Segregation Chart: Cuyahoga County HHW Program
Flyer: Ways to dispose of materials the District does not accept
We also offer annual training programs and provide supplies to ensure a safe program for your community, residents and employees. For questions about the Household Hazardous Waste Program, contact Matt Walters at (216) 698-7595 or send an email.
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