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!

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.

Safe Steps for a Successful Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Experience

If you have a variety of unwanted toxic items at home, the safest way to dispose of them is at a County Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) event.

Before you load up the car and make an appointment, read on for tips to make your experience a safe and successful one.

5 Ways to Reduce Hazardous Waste

Here are five ways to reduce the amount of hazardous waste generated in your home and the time you have to spend disposing of it.

1. Clean Safer
You don’t bake with bleach, but did you know you don’t have to clean with it either? Many ingredients you cook with can also be used to clean your home. Think lemon, vinegar, and baking soda. For cleaning recipes, visit: smchealth.org/safercleaning

Reduce Hazardous Waste in Your Life

Each time you make an appointment to drop-off household hazardous waste through San Mateo County’s program you are protecting the environment. However, we all recognize it can be a burden to sort and shuffle all that waste into your car, make an appointment, and then drive to get rid of it! But what if we told you there was a way to reduce the amount of drop-off trips while also protecting the environment? Good news, there is a way!

If you reduce the amount of hazardous materials you purchase, the less waste you accumulate, and the less trips you have to make! Not only does it make your life more convenient, it’s safer, may save some cash, and does even more to save the environment.

Today there are so many less-toxic alternatives to replace products that end up as hazardous waste. Here are some to consider….

San Mateo County Wins Exciting Awards

Elizabeth Rouan and her award.

San Mateo County attended a statewide conference in early November and came back with two awards we are very proud to share!

Environmental Health Tips

In honor of tomorrow (October 5) being “National Do Something Nice Day,” Environmental Health Services (EHS) is relaying answers to some of its most frequently asked questions from the public and businesses.

From food inspections to hazardous waste dumping and everything in between, read on for useful tips that may come in handy in the future.

Dropping off Your Household Hazardous Waste is as Easy as 1-2-3!

San Mateo County’s Household Hazardous Waste Program is a “full-service” program.

San Mateo County has offered a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program for over 24 years for residents to drop-off a variety of HHW such as cleaning chemicals, batteries, paint, fluorescent lights, propane tanks and more.

The program is free to residents and continues to be a popular way to get rid of unwanted toxic waste.

Next time you use the program – whether it is at our permanent facility in San Mateo or one of our temporary events in Daly City, La Honda, Menlo Park, Pacifica, Portola Valley, or South San Francisco – here are some quick tips to help you help us make the program a success for everyone.

1. Make an appointment. You can do so online at smchealth.org/hhw or by calling (650) 363-4718, select option 3.
2. Gather your waste in a sturdy box. Don’t mix waste and make sure they are in their original containers. Check our website for a list of accepted waste. The limit per appointment is 10 gallons or 50 pounds.
3. Arrive at your designated time. The HHW program is “full-service” so stay in your vehicle while we take the waste directly from your car. Just make sure to place it all in an easily accessible location for staff to reach.

And that’s it!

Visit smchealth.org/hhw for more information on how to make an appointment and what wastes are accepted.

Batteries, Batteries Everywhere!

Do you know how to recycle old batteries?

Have you ever opened a drawer in your home and found a pile of unwanted batteries you don’t know what to do with? You are not alone!

Batteries are used in so many of our everyday devices that we often find ourselves left with a drawer full of them piling up and don’t know what the next step is to get rid of them. Don’t fret, because we have the answers for you! There are many battery recycling options available in San Mateo County, and if you want to keep batteries from piling up in the first place, purchasing rechargeable batteries may be the solution you have been looking for.