Hazardous Waste
Dealing with your hazardous waste in SLO County
Many items can be classified into three typical bins: trash, recycling, and compost. But did you know there is a fourth category? One that doesn’t come with an at-home bin? This fourth category is hazardous waste.
Hazardous waste is waste that can cause a detrimental impact on health or the environment. Because of this, hazardous waste should not be disposed of in the trash or gutter. To help with the confusion on what is considered hazardous waste, we have compiled a list of items, their negative impact on the environment, and how to dispose of them.
Regular Batteries (AA and AAA and button)
Tossing your batteries into your garbage bin can cause a fire! Batteries have toxic chemicals and compounds that can leach out and start fires in garbage trucks or landfills. Instead of tossing them into the garbage bin and potentially causing a fire, take advantage of the SLO County take-back program.
What is the take-back program? It’s a program in SLO County that requires stores that sell batteries and various other items, such as light bulbs, to take back the used items and adequately recycle them for FREE!
Light-up Shoes and Musical Cards
Light-up shoes, especially those made before 1997, have mercury in them. Mercury is a dangerous chemical and can leach into the ground if not disposed of properly. Some newer light-up shoes are now made with LED lights, and you can take them to an e-waste drop-off. Just make sure to take out the button battery if it has one before you drop them off.
All musical cards are still made with mercury in the music device! The whole card is considered a hazardous waste, but the card can be recycled if you can remove the musical device. The musical device will have to be taken to an e-waste facility.
Car Oil & Car Batteries
It is super important to properly dispose of automotive fluids after changing them. As four quarts of oil, average oil change, can contaminate approximately a million gallons of water if you toss it down the drain! The same goes for your car batteries, as they are lead-acid batteries that can leach harmful chemicals into the water and soil contaminating our drinking water.
Remember all water is connected, so to avoid contaminating our planet’s water supply, properly dispose of that oil or your battery by taking it to Autozone, Napa Automotive, O’Reilly, or any store that sells automotive fluids or batteries. This is also part of the SLO County take-back program; there is, however, a limit to the amount they will take! Call the business ahead of time to find out what limit that is - typically, it is no more than 10 gallons at a time.
Kitchen-Grease and Oil
Did you know that putting kitchen grease and oil down the drain can damage your home’s plumbing? Even though kitchen grease and oil are not toxic to us, they can damage water filtration systems and your plumbing! If you have a little oil or grease, it is okay to put it in your trash once it has been cooled down. If you have a lot of it, drop it off at a hazardous materials facility to properly dispose of it!
Treated Wood
Treated wood should not be thrown in the trash or green bin as it is considered hazardous waste! Why is treated wood considered hazardous? To make wood last longer, it is treated with various chemicals to preserve it. The problem with this is it also becomes toxic and can harm us and the environment if disposed of improperly. Instead, take that treated wood to a hazardous waste facility that will take it.
House Paint & Aerosol Cans
House paint and aerosol cans also need to be appropriately disposed of as they can cause environmental and health damage. There is a take-back program for your leftover house paint in SLO County where if a store sells paint, they are obligated to take leftover paint for FREE to dispose of it properly. Any other types of paint need to be taken to a hazardous waste facility.
Nail Polish & Nail Polish Remover
Nail polish and nail polish remover are usually a staple in a lot of people’s beauty care, so much so that people don’t know that it’s a hazardous waste as well. That means that you shouldn’t put it into your trash can or put any leftover nail polish down the drain! Shocked? This one surprised us too! This is a good reminder always to check how to dispose of items you aren’t sure about.
Don’t know where your local hazardous facility is located?
Six household hazardous waste facilities will take them off your hands for free! Check the IWMA website to find out where those facilities are found. All household hazardous waste facilities accept up to 15 gallons or 125 pounds of waste materials free of charge.
To find out more about hazardous waste and the SLO County take-back program, check out the IWMA website here.
Citations
“Auto Fluids.” SLO County IWMA, August 27, 2021. https://iwma.com/guide/auto-fluids/.
“Batteries Archives.” SLO County IWMA. Accessed December 27, 2021. https://iwma.com/material/bulbs-batteries/.
“Car Batteries.” SLO County IWMA, April 14, 2021. https://iwma.com/guide/car-batteries/.
“Light up Shoes.” SLO County IWMA, November 13, 2019. https://iwma.com/guide/light-up-shoes/.
“Musical Greeting Cards.” SLO County IWMA, March 2, 2018. https://iwma.com/guide/musical-greeting-cards/.
“Nail Polish Remover.” SLO County IWMA, December 19, 2017. https://iwma.com/guide/nail-polish-remover/.
“Nail Polish.” SLO County IWMA, December 19, 2017. https://iwma.com/guide/nail-polish/.
“Paint.” SLO County IWMA, December 24, 2020. https://iwma.com/guide/paint/.
“Slo Take Back Program.” SLO County IWMA, December 24, 2020. https://iwma.com/residents/slo-take-back-program/#:~:text=Through%20the%20IWMA%27s%20SLO%20Take,from%20the%20public%20for%20free.
“Treated Wood.” SLO County IWMA, March 24, 2021. https://iwma.com/guide/treated-wood/.
