Household Hazardous Waste
Disposing of Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials generated by your household can be safely disposed of through the Santa Clara County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Program. Drop-off events are held the first weekend of every month at the Santa Clara County facility in San Martin. There is no charge to participate, but you must call (408) 299-7300 to pre-register.
Common Hazardous Materials
Generally, households have 3-10 gallons of hazardous materials in them. Household hazardous materials include:
- Aerosols
- Batteries
- Gasoline
- Paint
- Paint thinner
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- Pesticides
- Pool chemicals
- Propane
- Strong cleaners
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Sharps and Prescription Drug Disposal
Home generated sharps (disposable hypodermic needles, syringes, lancets, and other medical devices used for self-injection or blood test) and unused or expired prescription drugs and other over-the-counter medications must be properly disposed of. For complete information, click here.
In South County, the nearest sharps drop-off location is the San Martin Transfer Station, (408) 842-3358. Sharps must be in an approved container.
DO NOT FLUSH EXPIRED OR UNUSED MEDICATIONS DOWN THE TOILET! Although this was a practice used in the past, new studies show that prescription and over-the-counter drugs are not completely removed when passing through waste water treatment plants. Harm to marine and plant life can be caused by improper disposal. Please bring any unused or expired prescription drugs and other over-the-counter medications to a local medication drop-off location for proper disposal. In South County, the nearest location for disposal is the South County Sub Station (408) 686-3650. For a complete list of drop-off locations, click here.
Re-Use Program
The HHW Collection Facility also offers a Re-Use Program for residents interested in obtaining free reusable products. The program is open on days of the HHW drop-off events. Residents may view collected reusable waste and may take as much as they want at no charge.
More Information
View the following links to learn more about the proper disposal of household hazardous waste:
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