Household Hazardous Waste

Household Hazardous Wastes (HHW) are those wastes produced in our households* that are hazardous in nature but are not regulated as hazardous waste under federal and state laws. Each person in Pennsylvania produces an average of four pounds of HHW each year, or about 25,000 tons a year statewide. Such items are included as old paints and paint-related products, pesticides, pool chemicals, drain cleaners, degreasers, and other car care products. Such consumer waste products, if carelessly managed, can, and frequently do, create environmental and public health hazards.

The term "households" includes multiple residences, hotels, motels, bunkhouses, ranger stations, crew quarters, campgrounds, picnic grounds, and day-use recreation areas.


Source PA DEP

PA Department of Environmental Protection Collection- Additional Information site

PA Department of Environmental Protection Collection Locations site

For questions on specific disposal issues, contact a waste management chemist in your DEP Regional Offices. Visit the Hazardous Waste Contacts site. You can get additional information by contacting the PA HHW hotline at 800-346-4242.

Household Hazardous Waste

Safe and reliable service for household chemicals, "hard to dispose of" items, and other common hazardous waste.

Managing Household Hazardous Waste the Right Way

All waste streams are different. So is the way they're handled. With common hazardous waste and "hard-to-dispose-of" items, a more specialized approach is necessary. Due to safety concerns, not all items can be collected with your normal trash pickup, and hazardous materials, if not properly disposed of, may hurt the environment.

Solutions for Household Hazardous Waste

Waste Management has decades of experience managing household chemicals and hazardous materials responsibly and can remove them with our At Your Door Special Collection® service. Or, if the service isn't available in your area, you can instead bring your excess to one of hundreds of convenient drop-off locations.

We're here to help make disposing of these potentially dangerous items not only easy but safe for your household or your business.

At Your Door Special Collection®

In some communities, Waste Management can pick up your electronics, paints, garden chemicals, motor oil, and more right from your home. Waste Management's At Your Door Special Collection® is a service we offer to residents to make it easy to properly dispose of potentially hazardous household materials.

To verify that At Your Door℠ service is available in your area and schedule a collection, visit WMAtYourDoor.com or call 800-449-7587.

What Counts as a Hard-to-Dispose-of Item?

Knowing what constitutes household hazardous waste can be confusing. We're here to help.

On this page is a list of common hazardous materials that can be collected through our At Your Door℠ service

  • Automotive products: antifreeze, fluids, motor oil, oil filters, gasoline, polish, and waxes
  • Batteries: home and vehicle batteries
  • Electronics: TVs, computers, laptops, cell phones, printers, fax machines, MP3 players, DVD/CD/cassette players, and more
  • Fluorescent light bulbs and compact fluorescent lamps (CFL)
  • Mercury-containing devices: thermometers and thermostats
  • Paint products: oil-based, latex, and spray paints, caulk, wood preservative, and wood stain
  • Garden chemicals: pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and insecticides
  • Sharps: syringes, needles, and lancets 
  • Swimming pool chemicals
  • Other household chemicals: toilet bowl cleaner, shower/tile cleaner, carpet cleaner, rust remover, and more

While we can take care of many forms of common household hazardous waste through the At Your Door℠ service, some items are not suitable for home collection

Asbestos, Biological waste, Medicines and prescriptions, Ammunition and explosives, Commercial or business supplies, Unknown or unlabeled materials, Trash, including bulky items and furniture, Incandescent light bulbs, Appliances, Tires, Liquid mercury, Radioactive items, Containers over 5 gallons, Leaking or empty containers, Smoke detectors, Lamp fixtures, Construction-related materials, Improperly packaged items