Things to Save for Hazardous Waste Disposal
From the House
- aerosol cans
- oven cleaners wood and metal cleaners or polishes
- toilet bowl cleaners
- general purpose cleaners
- disinfectants
- fingernail polish removers
Automotive and Garage
- oil and fuel additives (can be recycled)
- grease and rust solvents
- carburetor and fuel injection cleaners
- starter fluids
- waxes, polishes and cleaners
- automotive batteries (can be recycled)
From the Workshop
- paints
- stains, varnishes and sealants
- paint thinners
- paint strippers and removers
Farm and Garden
- herbicides
- pesticides
- rat poisons
Miscellaneous
- pool chemicals
- photo processing chemicals
Getting Ready for Collection Days
Inventory all your hazardous materials and set aside those to be taken to the collection site.
- Check all containers, make sure lids are tight.
- Keep all materials in original containers if possible. Do not let latex paint and waste oil contaminate each other; transport them in separate boxes.
- Pack leaking or flimsy containers in a plastic bag and pack each in a box with kitty litter or newspapers to absorb leaks.
- Label the contents on outside of the box.
- Transport materials in your car trunk, rear of your station wagon or truck bed.
The Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site is located at 131 NE 46th St.
Helpful Phone Numbers
Call these numbers for recycling locations for oil and auto fluids, car batteries, packaging material, scrap metals, dry cleaning bags and other material:
Shawnee County Household Hazardous Waste Office
785-233-4774
Kansas Business and Industry Recycling Program (Kansas BIRP) and the Topeka-Shawnee County Litter Control Commission
785-273-6808
Acceptable Materials (bring in original containers if possible)
- paints - all kinds - keep in labeled cans so it can be reused
weed, pest and insect control products
- lacquers, thinners, stains
- used motor oil (bring in leakproof containers)
- solvents, mineral spirits, creosol
- household cleaners, including drain, toilet and oven cleaners
- spot and stain removers
- fertilizers containing nitrogen
- waxes and polishes
We Cannot Effectively Manage the Disposal of These Materials (below)
Please call the Kansas Department of Health and Environment at 785-296-1611 for confidential assistance in disposing of these unacceptable materials.
- explosives or ammunition
- pressurized gas cylinders
- infectious wastes
- radioactive material
- unidentified material (no labels)
- materials forbidden for shipment by the US Department of Transportation
Make your Home and Community a Safer Place - Rid your House of Hazardous Waste
When many common household products such as cleaners or paints are thrown in the trash, down the storm drain or on the ground, they eventually contaminate our rivers and lakes. One gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of water!
Businesses are regulated in the proper disposal of these substances, but homeowners are not.
Here are some simple tips:
- Buy only what you can use immediately. Buy smaller quantities.
- Use what you buy. Proper use is often the best way to get rid of it.
- If you can't use it, find a neighbor who can.
- Recycle if you can.
- Look for non-hazardous alternatives, such as vinegar and baking soda for cleaning.
- Store hazardous materials safely, away from children, until materials are used or taken to a collection site.
