Common household items such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, tires and pesticides contain hazardous components. The best way to determine if your household waste has hazardous components is to read the labels on products. Labels that use the words danger, warning, caution, toxic, corrosive, flammable, or poison identify products that might contain hazardous materials. Leftover portions of these products are called household hazardous waste (HHW). Reducing the Use of HHW
For many HHWs, there are non-toxic options. For example, you can purchase water-based paint instead of oil-based paint, buy or create your own cleaners that contain vinegar, baking soda, citrus extracts and other non-toxic ingredients. You could also use biologic alternatives to pesticides such as carnivorous ladybugs. Other HHWs have options that are reusable or recyclable. For example, you can purchase rechargeable dry-cell batteries instead of disposable, one-time-use batteries. HHWs, if mishandled, can be dangerous to your health, the health of City staff and the environment. The City of Rockville takes proper disposal of HHW very seriously and asks residents to follow the guidelines below when disposing of these materials:  Proper Disposal of HHW
- Never mix HHW with regular solid waste. When in doubt, call the City’s Refuse Division at (240) 314-8568.
- Keep HHW in its original labeled container or clearly label the new container.
- Never mix different HHWs into one container.
- Call the City’s Refuse Division, (240) 314-8568, to arrange for a free HHW pickup. Be ready to supply your name, address, and type of hazardous material to be collected.
- Keep HHW by your door or stoop and off the sidewalk where it can be mistaken for regular trash or tipped over.
For more information see the City of Rockville’s Guide to Refuse and Recycling. If you don’t want to wait for a scheduled appointment to dispose of your HHW, you can drop it off at the Montgomery County Transfer Station’s HHW receiving area located at 16101 Frederick Road, Derwood MD 20855. Their HHW collection area is open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday through Saturday. Disposal Tip | | Latex, or water-based paint, is not hazardous. To properly dispose of latex paint, solidify it by mixing it with kitty litter and discard in your regular trash. |
The City and County will NOT accept:
- Explosives, compressed gas cylinders (examples: oxygen, acetylene, carbon dioxide) and shock-sensitive materials Note: Propane and helium tanks are accepted
- Commercial, industrial or medical waste
- Kepones
- Unknowns (items without any type of identification)
- Radioactive Materials
- Asbestos
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