Household Chemical Dropoff Event
As part of our effort to help Missoula reach their ZERO by FIFTY goals, we offer household chemical drop off days for the community. We are working with the Missoula Public Health to offer year-round household chemical collection, reuse, and disposal options for Missoula. Formally available once per year as HazWaste days, this appointment, fee based program will give our community disposal options for unneeded household chemicals, typically known as household hazardous waste, and keep them out of our groundwater and landfill.
What is Household Hazardous Waste?
EPA considers some leftover household products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances, or that are corrosive or toxic as household hazardous waste. Products, such as certain paints, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients and require special care when you dispose of them. While most hazardous wastes that are ignitable, reactive, corrosive or toxic are regulated under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Congress developed an exclusion for household waste. Under this exclusion, found in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 261.4, wastes generated by normal household activities (e.g., routine house and yard maintenance) are excluded from the definition of hazardous waste. Although household hazardous waste is excluded from Subtitle C of RCRA, it is regulated under Subtitle D of this law as a solid waste. In other words, household hazardous waste is regulated on the state and local level.
Common household waste includes:
- Flammable or combustible paints & solvents (oil-based wood stains, mineral spirits, etc.)
- Automotive Fluids (gas, diesel fluid, oil)
- Pesticides and Herbicides
- Products with mercury (thermometers, thermostats & fluorescent lights)
- Rechargeable batteries
- Acids – muriatic acid for pools and fish tanks
- Caustics – sodium hydroxide for soap-making or drain cleaning
Please carefully read through the form before scheduling your drop-off. Waste from businesses or schools is not allowed. Total quantity must be less than 10 gallons. Before scheduling, review the guide to accepted material to ensure your material is accepted by the Household Chemical Disposal Facility, and if it isn’t, check out our Waste Wizard tool to find out what the next best option for your items is. Before bringing your material to the Household Chemical Collection facility please review this guide for proper preparation and transportation. Registration fee is $20 and is non-refundable.
After reviewing the material acceptance guide, are you still unsure of if what you have will be accepted and want to find out if you can bring it before registering for an appointment? If so, fill out this form prior to registration and we’ll get back to you with more information.