Los Angeles County Household Hazardous Waste
Calendar of Events & Electronic Waste Management Program
When tossed in the trash or poured down a sink or storm drain, materials such as used motor oil, paint, turpentine, acid or lye-based cleaners, household and car batteries, pesticides and garden herbicides can damage the environment and endanger the health of children and pets.
Household electronic waste includes equipment that is near the end of its useful life such as computer monitors and televisions which cannot be disposed of in trash cans. Unfortunately, electronic waste is a growing problem although many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled, including items such as VCRs, stereos, fax machines, copiers, computer keyboards and cellular telephones.
State law (SB 1305) makes it illegal to dispose of medical syringes, needles or "sharps" in your trash, recycling or green waste container. Sharps are considered hazardous waste and must be disposed of through a safe disposal facility. See below for Sharps Disposal and Disposal of Medical Waste.
Collect unwanted household hazardous waste and e-waste items and bring them to a free Houshold Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Roundup. It’s easy to participate. Leave the products in their original container, place them in a cardboard box and drive to the Roundup site. The entire process only takes a few minutes and you never have to leave your car.
Remember:
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Limit of 15 gallons or 125 lbs. per vehicle
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Do not mix materials, keep original labels on containers
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Put in a sturdy box in the trunk of your car
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No waste from business will be accepted
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No explosives, ammunition or radioactive materials will be accepted
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No explosive or radioactive materials, tires or waste from business will be accepted. Please do not mix products together.
The Free Countywide Household Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Roundups are brought to you by the County of Los Angeles and presented by the Department of Public Works and the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, in cooperation with the cities of Alhambra, Arcadia, Commerce, El Monte, Los Angeles, Montebello, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, South El Monte, South Pasadena and Temple City.
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DISPOSAL OF SYRINGES (SHARPS) WASTE
On September 1, 2008, State law (SB 1305) went into effect making it illegal to dispose of home-generated syringes in your trash, recycling bin, or composting bin. This applies to syringes used for both human and pet medical care. Needles are dangerous because they can injure people, spread germs and disease (hepatitis and HIV/AIDS), and require people to be tested for years for HIV and hepatitis if they are stuck.
Free Red Sharps Containers: The new law states that all hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications must be placed in an approved sharps container that is puncture-resistant and, once sealed, cannot spill. FREE, state-approved sharps containers can be obtained at the following locations:
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Los Angeles County Department of Public Works
900 S. Fremont Ave. (Annex Building - Third Floor) , Alhambra; 1-888-CleanLA
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Accurate Home Health Care, Inc., 1104 S. Garfield Ave., Suite B, Alhambra, 91801;
(626) 576-5006
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"Sharps" Collection Centers: Once your "Sharps" container has been filled to three-quarters of its capacity, it should be permanently sealed and taken to a disposal site as soon as possible, and a new container obtained from one of the sites noted above. Locations for disposing of sharps containers include:
* Note: Although the preferred method of disposing waste sharps is by placing them in a red sharps container, if you can't pick up an approved container Los Angeles County HHW Roundup sites will still accept sharps placed in containers that do not leak, break or puncture. The container must be taped, sealed and labeled "SHARPS." For additional information about disposing your sharps, contact your pharmacist or health care provider. For more information and a link to the new State law, refer to the County's "Home-Generated Sharps Waste Management Program" web pages.
Remember to Properly and Legally Dispose of Needles:
DO use an approved disposal container.
DO find a collection center for proper disposal.
DON’T throw used needles, syringes, or lancets in the garbage.
DON’T put needles in recycling containers.
DON’T flush needles down the toilet.
DON’T put needles into used plastic milk containers, bleach bottles, etc.
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DISPOSING OF MEDICATIONS
