Safe Hazardous Waste Disposal for Marin County
Proper handling of hazardous waste is vital to the health of our community and our environment. At the Marin Household Hazardous Waste Facility, we take that responsibility seriously and provide free household hazardous waste disposal for Marin County residents (except for Novato which has its own facility).
Our goal is to safely collect, reuse, recycle, and dispose of your household hazardous products.
What is Household Hazardous Waste?
Hazardous waste is waste with properties that make it potentially dangerous or harmful to humans health or the environment. Hazardous waste can be liquids, solids, or contained gases.
The EPA uses the following characteristics to define hazardous waste:
- IGNITABILITY– Liquids or solids that are flammable or combustible
- CORROSIVITY – Highly reactive substances that cause rust, corrosion, and obvious damage to living tissue; acids and bases are common corrosive materials
- REACTIVITY – Substances that, when mixed, create toxic, unstable, or explosive reactions
- TOXICITY – Poisonous materials
Many of the common household products we use every day such as household cleaners, paint and batteries, are considered hazardous. If these products are handled or disposed of incorrectly, they can pose a threat to human health, animals and the environment. In California, it is illegal to dispose of household hazardous waste in the trash, down the drain, or by abandonment and should instead be disposed of through a Household Hazardous Waste Program such as ours.
How do you know something is considered hazardous?
We list the most common household hazardous wastes on our Residential: What We Accept page.
You’ll also find what we will not accept on the Residential: Not Accepted page.
What You Need To Know Before You Go
Please follow these guidelines about what we accept and how to deliver it to us. We’ll do our best to make it easy and convenient for you. For questions, contact us at 415-456-2665 and leave your name, phone number, and a brief message, or use our contact form, and we will call you back within 24 hours (Monday through Friday).
CONFIRM THAT THE MATERIAL IS ACCEPTED AT OUR FACILITY
Visit our Residential: What We Accept page to verify that the products you want to bring are accepted at our facility.
READ THE LABELS
Carefully read the labels on the products that you are bringing to us to determine if you need to take precautions in handling or transporting them safely.
KEEP IT IN THE ORIGINAL CONTAINER
For the safety of our workers and to ensure proper disposal, please keep products in their original containers. If the container is damaged, you may put the product in a secondary container but clearly label it to avoid confusion.
Please do not place the materials in garbage bags. Instead, organize the containers in boxes lined with newspaper or other materials to minimize the chances of spills.
BE AWARE OF QUANTITY LIMITS
Be mindful of the quantities that you are bringing. State of California regulations limit the amount of hazardous waste that can be transported at one time to 15 gallons liquid or combined liquid/dry weight of 125 lbs. (liquid weighs 8.5 lbs. per gallon).
The exception is latex paint and motor oil, which can be a total of 20 gallons all together. Containers may not be larger than five (5) gallons or 50 pounds in weight.
DON’T MIX
For the safety of our workers and to ensure proper disposal, please avoid mixing materials, even if you think they are the same.
BRING PROOF OF RESIDENCY
You are required to prove Marin County residency when you drop off material at our facility.
- A valid government-issued photo ID such as a passport or driver’s license
- A recent tax document
- A utility bill
Why do we ask for proof of residency? Because the program is free for Marin residents, we need to make sure that only residents are using the facility.
