Hazardous Waste

Hazardous wastes are waste materials that when improperly managed may cause or significantly contribute to serious illness or death or that may pose a substantial threat to human health or the environment. Hazardous waste usually can be identified by labels such as: Warning, Caution, Poisonous, Toxic, Flammable, Corrosive, Reactive or Explosive.

Hazardous waste items include:

Automotive Products, including car batteries, motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze, kerosene and gasoline.

Pesticides/Herbicides

Household Products including drain and oven cleaners, spot remover, dry cleaning fluid, rug cleaners

Paint Products including paint thinner or turpentine, paint remover, oil based paint, furniture stripper and refinisher

Miscellaneous products including dyes, lighter fluids, concrete or asphalt sealers and swimming pool chemicals.

Compact Florescent Bulbs

Used Batteries

Mercury Thermometers

Latex paint is not hazardous and can be safely disposed of by leaving the lid off the can and allowing it to dry completely before disposing of it in your regular trash. Leftover oil-based paint should be donated to a good cause or saved for hazardous waste collection.

How to dispose of Hazardous Waste...

Hazardous Waste Collections are finished for Montgomery County for 2007.

Check here for the 2008 schedule as soon as it becomes available.

Jenkintown Borough now collects Compact Fluorescent Bulbs and used Batteries at Borough Hall. Simply bring them to Borough Hall during business hours.

How to cut down on Hazardous Wastes...

Consider using alternatives. For a list of recipes for alternative cleaning products, visit Brattleboro, Vermont's webpage of Alternative Recipes. For the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Purchasing Guide provides information on sorting out Green advertising claims and articles on Environmentally Preferable Purchasing.