CAUTION! DANGER! POISON!

These words are designed to keep people away, yet many common household products are labeled with these warnings and left sitting on shelves or in cabinets long after they are needed. In a typical home, families have about 100 pounds of unwanted hazardous chemicals stored. These unneeded–and often forgotten–items are called “Household Hazardous Waste” (HHW). Take a look around. You probably have HHW that you don’t need, such as old paint, stain, lawn chemicals, bug spray, antifreeze, gasoline, and more.

Gathering and safely disposing of HHW will open up storage space and also make your home safer for your family, as well as emergency responders in case of fire or natural disaster. Plus, it will help us keep our ocean and beaches clean and safe. NEVER place HHW in the trash, recycling, or green waste cart, or pour into the street, gutter, storm drain, or sewer.

Instead, take advantage of Los Angeles County’s FREE, convenient HHW Round-Up Events. In addition to HHW, you can also drop off electronic waste, car batteries, household batteries, fluorescent tubes and bulbs, expired medication, used sharps (in a secure container), and mercury thermometers. HHW Round-Ups are held once a year in Torrance and at least once each quarter in nearby cities: Carson (September), Lomita (December), Hermosa Beach (January), and Gardena (March). All Round-Up events are free and open to all residents of Los Angeles County.

If you don’t want to wait for one-day Round-Up event, you may drop off HHW and electronics year-round at the following nearby locations:

Saturdays and Sundays                                                            2nd & 4th Saturday
9am – 3pm                                                                                   9am – 2pm
Gaffey Street S.A.F.E. Center                                         EDCO Recycling & Transfer
1400 N. Gaffey St.                                                                      2755 California Ave.
San Pedro, 90731                                                                       Signal Hill, 90755

To learn more about all of your HHW disposal options, visit the LA County Department of Public Works or the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County.