The Fall Lineup is Here!

Mark Your Calendars! Upcoming HHW Drop-off Events

The fall lineup of household hazardous waste drop-off events feature Foster City, Portola Valley, Daly City, Redwood City, South San Francisco, Pacifica, and, as always, San Mateo!

Make an appointment

Haga cita

Interested in Second Chances? Our Give Away Program Makes it Happen (for home products, that is)!

Many items collected at San Mateo County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility are in good, usable condition. Products may include home and heavy-duty cleaners, solvents, auto supplies, pesticides, fertilizers, adhesives, paint, and stains. The Product Give Away Program redistributes these products for free each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 2-3 p.m. at the San Mateo County HHW Facility.

Neighborhood Retail Partners Make Safe Disposal of HHW Easy

Neighborhood retail partners make it easy and increase opportunities to clear our homes of hazardous waste because it does not belong at home! The San Mateo County Household Hazardous Waste Program partners with retail stores around the County to increase easy drop-off options for safe HHW recycling, right in your neighborhood! If you have paint*, household batteries, or fluorescent lights only, check out these convenient neighborhood drop-off sites.

Paint only? Visit paintcare.org.

*Visit Paintcare.org for neighborhood drop-off sites. PaintCare accepts latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel, primers, sealers, stains, and varnishes. They do not accept paint thinner, mineral spirits, solvents, or aerosol paints (spray cans). For these products, make a collection event appointment at smchealth.org/hhw-appt. Check paintcare.org for a complete list of accepted products.

Interested in avoiding the use of hazardous products? See our Safer Replacements article!

It’s Your Choice! Safer Cleaning Product Options at Home

Ready to explore easy, safer, and inexpensive cleaning options outside of conventional cleaning products? You may already have some of the products needed to switch to safer cleaning practices, such as liquid soap, baking soda, and lemon juice. We now know it’s not necessary to depend on heavy chemical products for effective cleaning in the home. Try a few safer cleaning products found here and share your experience with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram @smchealth, or leave a comment in this blog!

Check out even more Safer Replacements videos:

Safer Cleaning Basics                                  
Simple Safer Spring Cleaning Ingredients!
Conceptos Básicos de la Limpieza Menos Tóxica
Ingredientes Básicos para Limpieza Menos Tóxica

💡Helpful hint: It’s not necessary to clean mold with chlorine bleach. Try hot, soapy water and be prepared to DRY THE AREA THOROUGHLY. If you do not dry the area, the mold may return due to moisture in the air.

Safer cleaning resources:

💚One of the more popular and effective safer cleaning recipes is our creamy cleanser. Follow along and make some of your own with this video.
🌎Women’s Voices for the Earth demonstrates how to make safer cleaning products at home!
🧼Our 3 Steps to a Healthy Home also highlights less toxic pest and mold control.
🧽Environmental Working Group (EWG)-Verified Cleaning Products
🌎The Safer Choice Label for safer cleaning, car care, laundry, dish detergent, degreasers, and other home products that contain the least toxic ingredients.

Making the switch? Check out our safe HHW management video! Have you decided to opt for less toxic products and would like to safely dispose of or donate your existing cleaning products? Make an appointment for an upcoming collection event near you.

Video: Manejo Seguro de Desechos Peligrosos del Hogar

Last but not least, FREE household products! The Product Give Away Program at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility donates partially or unused products Thursday through Saturday, 2-3pm.

Engage! Contact Cynthia Knowles at cknowles@smcgov.org for any questions or feedback on Safer Cleaning at Home!

¡Involúcrate! Comuníquese con Cynthia Knowles al cknowles@smcgov.org con cualquier consulta.

Hazardous Products: Convenient Recycling and Used Products for Free!

Did you have flooding in your home? Reduce potential harm and avoid contamination

Flooding can put our health and the environment at risk. Floodwater may contain raw sewage, animal waste, toxic substances, chemical compounds, fungus, bacteria, and other harmful materials. If floodwaters come in contact with hazardous products in the home, such as batteries, paint, paint thinner, pesticides, fertilizers, and cleaners, the products may become household hazardous waste (HHW). Visit smchealth.org/hhw-appt to make an appointment to safely dispose of HHW. Events take place every weekend around the County!

Recent heavy rains tend to increase mold growth so check out 3 Steps to a Healthy Home for mold control guidance.

Spotlight: Neighborhood Retail Partners increase HHW recycling!

Neighborhood retail partners increase HHW drop-off opportunities and make it easy to clear our homes of hazardous waste. The San Mateo County Household Hazardous Waste Program partners with retail stores around the County to increase easy drop-off options for safe HHW recycling, right in your neighborhood! If you have paint*, household batteries, or fluorescent lights only, it’s not necessary to make an appointment at an HHW collection event. The County partners with local retail stores to provide you with convenient neighborhood drop-off sites.

Paint only? Visit paintcare.org.

*Visit Paintcare.org for neighborhood drop-off sites. PaintCare accepts latex, acrylic, water-based, alkyd, oil-based, enamel, primers, sealers, stains, and varnishes. They do not accept paint thinner, mineral spirits, solvents, or aerosol paints (spray cans). For these products, make a collection event appointment at smchealth.org/hhw-appt. Check paintcare.org for a complete list of accepted products.

Interested in Second Chances? Our Give Away Program makes it happen!

Many items collected at San Mateo County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility are in good, usable condition. Products may include home and heavy-duty cleaners, solvents, auto supplies, pesticides, fertilizers, adhesives, paint, and stains. The Product Give Away Program redistributes these products for free each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 2-3 p.m. at the San Mateo County HHW Facility.

Three Easy and Free Ways to Recycle Used Motor Oil and Filters

Do you or someone you know change their vehicle’s motor oil? If you’re in the DIY oil change club, read on to find out about your recycling options. Already went electric? This high five is for you ✋.

1. Recycle at a collection center – Over 50 drop-off options to choose from.
🏪 No appointment needed.
🏪 Calling ahead is recommended as storage tanks can get full.
🏪 Always give your used oil and filter to a staff person during business hours, don’t leave the materials outside the building.

2. Recycle at the curb – Never leave home.
🗑 No appointment needed.
🗑 Place your used oil and filter next to your recycling bin on your regular collection day.
🗑 Some haulers provide free recycling containers for your use. Visit the link above to check requirements and limits.
🗑 Not available for Recology San Bruno and Recology of the Coast customers.

3. Recycle through the County’s Household Hazardous Waste Program – Clean out your garage and safely get rid of all your hazardous products that are expired or unwanted at the same time. 
📅 Upcoming appointments are available!

♻ San Mateo | August 27, September 1, 2, 8, 9, 10
♻ Foster City | August 27
♻ Daly City | September 10
♻ Redwood City | September 24  
♻ South San Francisco | October 1
♻ More appointment dates are available on the website.

📅 Bring used motor oil and filters and other household hazardous waste items like paint, batteries, CFL bulbs, antifreeze, etc. Here’s a link to what is and is not accepted through the Program.

⚠ Reminder! Used motor oil mixed with anything else can’t be recycled and must be managed through the County’s Household Hazardous Waste Program. 

⚠ Don’t forget your filter! Both metal and paper/cartridge filters must be managed using one of the three options above. They are hazardous and can’t be trashed.

🔧 Do you need supplies to complete your oil change? Email pollutionprevention@smcgov.org if you need an oil drain pan, oil filter recycling container, oil rag, or funnel to get the job done right. Limit two items per resident, while supplies last. Must pick up from our office in San Mateo during business hours.

Paint Your Walls and the Town, Then Recycle!

PaintCare makes it easy to recycle leftover paint!

🎨 What can I drop off?
PaintCare drop-off sites accept the following:
-Latex, acrylic, enamel, and water and oil-based paints
-Primers, stains, sealers, and clear coatings such as shellac and varnish

  🎨 Where do I drop off my paint?
-Local drop-off sites are located near you. Neighborhood PaintCare sites do not require an appointment! Find your closest site at Paintcare.org

🎨  How much can I drop off?
-Paint must be in its original container of no larger than 5 gallons in size
-Most sites accept up to 10 gallons per drop-off visit
-Products must have the original manufacturer’s printed label on the container
-The container must be covered with a secured lid

 🎨 Before you PaintCare, PaintSmart!
–PaintCare provides guidance on how much paint to buy, how to make your paint last longer in storage, and how to use up or give away leftover paint

 🎨 Items NOT Accepted by PaintCare
-Aerosol products, solvents, paint thinners, mineral spirits, and auto or marine paints
-Leaking, unlabeled, or uncovered cans

Place non-leaking containers in boxes or crates. Do not use plastic garbage bags.

Do you have items that are not accepted by PaintCare and other household hazardous wastes, such as pesticides, fertilizers, solvents, cleaning, automotive, and home improvement products? Make a drop-off appointment at an upcoming household hazardous waste collection event in Daly City, Foster City, Pacifica, Portola Valley, Redwood City, South San Francisco, or San Mateo.

Visit smchealth.org/hhw for more information on HHW and learn What Goes Where.

Safer Products Corner: Spotlight on the Safer Choice Label

After you clear out the hazards, choose less toxic products. Search the Safer Choice Label for safer cleaning, car care, laundry, dish detergent, degreasers, and other consumer products for the home that contain the least toxic ingredients.

Don’t forget about safer cleaning products already found in your kitchen pantry! And be sure to check out our 3 Steps to a Healthy Home for advice on less toxic pest and mold control.

Women’s Voices for the Earth also showcases simple steps to make safer cleaning products at home!

Many items collected at San Mateo County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility are in good, usable condition. Products may include home and heavy-duty cleaners, solvents, auto supplies, pesticides, fertilizers, adhesives, and stains. The Product Give Away Program redistributes these products for free each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 2-3 p.m.

5 Eco Tips for the Ocean-Loving Boater

Boaters are drawn to the beauty and serenity of our oceans and waterways. They’re also responsible for preventing pollution and protecting our marine ecosystems, which are sensitive to hazardous waste, motor oil, and trash that may come from boats. Hazardous waste and motor oil can be harmful to marine wildlife, even in small quantities. Additionally, ocean animals may become entangled in trash or mistake plastic for food.

Luckily, there are many ways boaters can get “all aboard” with pollution prevention. Here are five eco tips for the ocean-loving boater:

1. ⚠️Safety First – Switch to Reusable Flares

• Boaters in the U.S. are legally required to carry visual distress signals. However, expired, single-use marine flares are extremely hard to dispose of and are considered explosive hazardous waste. 
• Go reusable –Stock your boat with Electronic Visual Distress Signal Devices (eVDSDs). They are safer for your family, better for the environment, never expire, and are ultimately more cost-effective.

Save 10%! For the rest of 2022, California boaters can take advantage of this discount for a U.S. Coast Guard approved pyrotechnic flare replacement from Sirius Signal.

2. 🛢️ Safely Dispose of Used Oil and Oil-related Items

• Used motor oil, oil filters, and oil cleanup absorbents (e.g. bilge pads) pose a threat to the ocean and our waterways if not properly disposed of. 
• If you’re a boater in San Mateo County, your marina will help you recycle or safely manage used oil, filters, and oil absorbent materials — call your Harbormaster for details or click here for a marina phone directory. 

If you live elsewhere in the Bay Area, check out this San Francisco Bay Clean Boating Map for locations of marina-based pollution prevention services.

3. ☢️ Properly Dispose of Hazardous Waste

• Many items you may have in your boat such as paints, varnishes, batteries, oil, oil filters, and old fuel are hazardous waste that pose a threat to humans and the marine environment. 
• Too toxic to trash – safely manage hazardous waste using retail drop-off locations, curbside pick up, or by making a FREE drop-off appointment. 

4. 🧼 Go Green and Clean

Many cleaning products contain chemicals that are harmful to marine ecosystems if released directly into waterways. 

• Choose less toxic cleaning products, which were tested by the BoatUS Foundation for eco-friendliness and effectiveness. 
• Wash your boat on land in a designated wash area or on a permeable surface that will absorb and filter the wash water.

5. ♻️ Repurpose and Recycle Old Gear

If you have unwanted boating gear that is still in good condition:

• Donate it to someone else or set up a gear exchange at your marina. 
• Reel in and recycle – fishing lines are not biodegradable and marine life may suffer from line entanglement. Find a list of line recycling container locations here.  

Out with the old, in with the new – if your gear is past its useful lifetime, see if there are options to recycle it into something new. For instance, SeaBags turns old sails into reusable bags, and Suga recycles old wetsuits into new yoga mats!

These tips are brought to you by San Mateo County Environmental Health Services (EHS). EHS works to ensure a safe and healthy environment in San Mateo County through education, regulation, and monitoring. Visit smchealth.org/boatoil for more boater information and resources. 

Household Hazardous Waste Program and Healthy Homes

Open Your Window to Greet Spring and Safer Cleaning

As we open our windows to enjoy longer days and warmer breezes, ventilation promotes air exchange which is necessary to control moisture and mold. Visit our Healthy Homes resources and the CA Department of Public Health’s Mold in the Home English and Spanish video series. Lastly, visit our Three Steps to a Healthy Home for step-by-step actions to safely reduce pests and mold. Women’s Voices for the Earth showcases simple steps to make safer cleaning products at home!

Home Safe Home

Place non-leaking containers in boxes or crates. Do nut use plastic garbage bags.

Time to clear out old or unwanted household hazardous waste (HHW) products and make way for safer products. Pesticides and fertilizers, solvents, chemical cleaning products, and automotive and home improvement products are considered hazardous and can be safely recycled through the County’s HHW Program. Make an appointment at an upcoming collection event in Redwood City, Foster City, South San Francisco, or San Mateo.

Have batteries, paint, used motor oil and filters, or fluorescent lights? Safely drop them off at a local retail take-back location. No appointment needed! Find a drop-off site near you. It’s illegal and unsafe to put HHW in the trash or down the drain.

Women! We Celebrate the History of a Community Champion Against Toxic Waste

For Women’s History Month, Environmental Health Services celebrates a brave woman who took on toxic dumping and won a victory for all communities. In 1978, Lois Gibbs was raising her family in Love Canal in upstate New York when she discovered her neighborhood and her children’s school sat next to 20,000 tons of buried toxic chemicals. Learn more at the Center for Environment, Health & Justice.

HHW Middle School Education Program

Calling all middle school teachers! Environmental Health Services has created a new and exciting education initiative which introduces HHW to students. Educational themes focus on how to identify hazardous products, labeling, and safety in their use, storage, and management once a product is no longer needed or useful. Interested in scheduling a 30-45 minute interactive presentation? Visit our website to learn more.

Trash to Treasure

Too Good to Waste! Many items collected at San Mateo County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility are in good, usable condition. Products may include home and heavy-duty cleaners, solvents, auto supplies, pesticides, fertilizers, adhesives, and stains. The Product Give Away Program redistributes these products for free each Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 2 – 3 p.m.

Marine Flare Collection Event, Saturday, November 2nd

San Mateo County Environmental Health Services will be hosting a one-day marine flare collection event on Saturday, November 2nd for recreational boaters who berth a boat or live in San Mateo County. 

Locations & Time
 Pillar Point Harbor 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. 
1 Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 

Oyster Point Marina, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. 
95 Harbor Master Road, South San Francisco, CA 94080 

How to Prepare
Step 1: Inventory Your Flares
Inventory the number of flares you have. If you have damaged, decayed, unusual, expired, very old, or large flares, contact San Mateo County by phone or email below for options.

Step 2: Make an Appointment
For more information and to schedule an appointment, contact Wesley Won at 
(650) 655-6217 or wwon@smcgov.org. If you reach the voicemail, please leave your name, address, phone, email, and number of flares you’d like to dispose of. You will receive a call back confirming your appointment. 

Step 3: Day of Your Appointment
Transport flares safely by keeping them in original packaging, and protecting flares from movement during transportation to the collection event.

FAQ 

Do I have to make an appointment? 
Yes, an appointment is required. To schedule an appointment, contact Wesley Won at (650) 655-6217 or email wwon@smcgov.org.  

Is there a fee to dispose of my flares? 
No.

Who can participate in the event?
This event is restricted to recreational boaters who berth a boat or live in San Mateo County. No flares will be accepted from businesses or organizations.

What type of flares will you accept?
We will accept handheld, parachute, aerial, and handgun flares. No military-type devices or flares from commercial craft, businesses, or organizations. 

Is there a limit to how many marine flares I can bring?
There is no limit. 

Will this collection event accept any other household hazardous waste?
No other household hazardous waste such as paint, batteries, and oil will be accepted at this event. To make an appointment to safely manage your household hazardous waste, please call (650) 372-6200 or visit smchealth.org/hhw. 

Who should I contact for more information?
Please call Wesley Won at (650) 655-6217 or email wwon@smcgov.org. 

Marine signal devices are considered explosives and therefore difficult to dispose of.
San Mateo County Environmental Health Services’ Household Hazardous Waste Program is conducting this event with funding from CalRecycle. The event is a pilot program intended to help develop future collection opportunities for boaters to properly dispose of their marine flares. 

Too Good to Waste

Reduce Household Hazardous Waste by Sharing Leftover Unwanted Products 

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of home improvement or cleaning only to realize you are missing one product to complete the job? Instead of racing to the store to purchase an item you may never use again and take up valuable storage space after your project is complete, consider these more sustainable solutions that are better for your wallet and the planet!

1. Ask a neighbor. You’d be surprised that what you need lives in the garage or under the sink next door waiting to be put to good use. If you don’t interact with your neighbors often, consider joining Nextdoor. Nextdoor is a private social media network for your neighborhood that can be downloaded as a mobile app or accessed by logging in on your computer. You’ll often see residents on Nextdoor posting household products for free or looking to exchange.

2. Free Product Give Away Program. Many products collected at San Mateo County’s Household Hazardous Waste collection events are still in good condition. Products include but are not limited to gardening, hobby and craft, automotive care, household cleaners and care products. The Program redistributes these items for free, but remember, please only take what you need. For location and more information, visit
smchealth.org/productgiveaway.

Benefits of Sharing Unwanted Products
• Saves money.
• Saves a trip to the store.
• Reduces resources and energy used in the production and disposal of goods.
• Reduces Household Hazardous Waste.
• Reduces risk of pollution in the environment.
• Keeps your family and pets safe from unwanted chemicals piling up in the
garage or under the kitchen sink.

A Little Battery, A Lot of Harm

 

Improper battery recycling poses a huge risk to employees and the community

Around 8:30 p.m. on September 7, 2016, employees at the Shoreway Environmental Center’s materials recovery facility (MRF) in San Carlos had just started processing materials after a meal break when they noticed something was terribly wrong.

A small fire had started in one of the automated screens that mechanically separates mixed paper from other recyclables. The fire quickly spread deeper into the facility as materials continued to be conveyed.

“Staff sprang into action and began extinguishing the fires they could access,” said Dwight Herring, General Manager of South Bay Recycling who operates the RethinkWaste*-owned facility. “It was emanating thick, acrid black smoke and the supervisor at the time made the call to evacuate.”

While there were thankfully no injuries, the building interior and processing equipment suffered extensive fire, smoke and water damage — damage significant enough to suspend the facility’s ability to process recyclable materials. After examining the site, fire investigators strongly suspected the ignition source was likely a lithium-ion battery.

It was three months before the MRF could start processing materials again, and an entire year before the building and damaged equipment were fully restored. During this time, some employees were temporarily laid-off while repairs were made.

After the repairs were finished, the facility’s insurance coverage cost increased significantly, ultimately impacting user rates. “Just because the facility shut down doesn’t mean the material flow stopped. We had to make arrangements to have third party haulers come in and remove that material,” Herring said.

Since the fire, the facility has increased staff fire safety training and installed additional fire suppression equipment throughout the MRF, including improved sprinkler systems and an automatic plant-wide system shutdown in the event of fire. But those safety measures can only do so much.

What the Shoreway facility and all haulers in San Mateo County really need is for residents to make sure batteries don’t get put into their recyclables or trash. “When you’re discarding a battery, and you’re discarding it inappropriately — whether it’s the black cart or the blue cart — you’re basically putting a bomb in that container. It takes very little damage to a lithium-ion battery for it to explode,” he said. “You’re literally putting an incendiary device into a pile of paper.”

Recycle your Batteries Right, contact your local waste hauler for recycling options, or visit RecycleStuff.org