Household Hazardous Waste

To help residents dispose of oil-based paint, pesticides, automotive fluids, and other hazardous products found in the home, the Solid Waste District offers a Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Program.

Our public agency partners with the 59 communities in the county to offer local, frequent collection events for the disposal of household hazardous wastes (HHW). The program is free to all Cuyahoga County households and provides environmentally safe disposal of hazardous, flammable, poisonous, caustic, or toxic household products that cannot be disposed of in the regular trash.

Examples of HHW include oil or solvent-based paint, sealers, primers, or coatings (aerosols or liquids), solvents, paint thinner, varnishes and polyurethanes, cooking oil, oils and grease, automotive fluids, aerosols, adhesives, roof tar, driveway sealer, fuels, lawn and garden products, pesticides, pool chemicals, hand sanitizer, and household cleaners. 

HHW is collected from residents by their city service department and is delivered to the District’s year-round Special Waste Convenience Center. Collection events are held year-round or seasonally at city service departments. The District's facility is not open to the general public. 

Most communities will only accept and manage waste from their residents. To find collection information for your community, use this website’s geolocation services, or choose your community from the green ‘Select a City’ drop-down at the top of the page and click ‘See Details.’

Disposal of Empty Containers

Dried-out paint cans, empty aerosol cans, and other empty containers can be placed in the regular trash for disposal. Empty motor oil and antifreeze jugs may have residue of the hazardous materials they held and should be placed in the trash, not recycling, for proper disposal.

See instructions from The Spruce on how to dispose of oily rags.

By federal law, empty HHW containers (3% of material remaining or less) can be disposed of in the regular trash. If you prefer, the empty containers can be disposed of in your community’s next HHW collection.

Donate

Consider donating still usable materials (furniture polish, air freshener, hairspray, laundry detergent, lamp oil, pool chemicals, hand sanitizer, paint) to a friend, neighbor, organization, or materials exchange freecycle event that may use the unwanted products.

Alternative Disposal Options for Non-Accepted Items

Latex paint, batteries, and fluorescent bulbs are not accepted in this program. 

Propane tanks, fire extinguishers, and helium or oxygen tanks can be recycled in some communities, at retail locations, or scrap metal yards.

HHW Program History

Learn more about the history, community partnership, and guidelines for Cuyahoga County's Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Program.

Waste from Businesses or Commercial Properties

There are different rules for the disposal of hazardous wastes from a business. Businesses must contract with a licensed company for proper disposal or recycling. See details about antifreeze, fryer oil, gasoline, grease, latex paint, mercury, motor oil, oil-based paint, and solvents, 

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Looking to recycle, donate, or dispose of other items? Use the dark blue 'What Do I Do With?' search bar at the top of every page of this website. Allow location services or use the city drop-down to find opportunities in your local area.