Manatee County Government
What is Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)? Household Hazardous Waste
How to dispose of unwanted household products labeled as flammable, toxic, corrosive, reactive, combustible or explosive.
Table of Contents
What is Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)?
A SUBSTANCE IS HAZARDOUS IF IT’S:
Toxic: Directly or indirectly poisons living things.
Ignitable: Capable of catching fire.
Corrosive: Capable of chemically eroding another substance such as cloth, metal, or skin.
Reactive: Capable of participating in a chemical interaction or transformation.
Carcinogenic: Capable of causing cancer.
Unwanted household products, labeled as FLAMMABLE, TOXIC, CORROSIVE, REACTIVE, COMBUSTIBLE or EXPLOSIVE are common household hazardous wastes (HHW). You can tell if a product is hazardous if words such as, POISON, DANGER, WARNING and CAUTION appear on the label.
How do I dispose of my HHW?
Hazardous waste can only be disposed of on sites approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Manatee County has established a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Program.
- Free at a special collection center at the Landfill. Manatee County’s Landfill is located at 3333 Lena Road, in Bradenton
- 3rd Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. as well as additional sites located throughout the County. Schedule of the collections and locations.
- All hazardous waste collected is chemically treated and properly disposed of in an environmentally safe manner or recycled for energy recovery. Used oil, car batteries, and latex paint are examples of materials that can be recycled.
What is safe transportation of HHW?
· Transport items in the trunk or rear of your vehicle in sturdy boxes or containers that can be thrown away. Boxes may be lined with kitty litter or an open garbage bag, this will ensure that your items don’t leak into your vehicle.
Battery Recycling
All other batteries such as rechargeable, lead-acid, lithium, and Ni-cad batteries are considered household hazardous waste and need to be disposed of or recycled properly.
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) has a website: http//www.rbrc.org with additional information. Some items in your home that may have rechargeable batteries are: cell phones, electronic toothbrushes, cordless tools such as drills & screwdrivers, flashlights, cameras, radios, CD players, beepers, and battery operated toys.
For the most up-to-date information on the proper disposal of Ni-Cad and rechargeable batteries, you can call 1-800-BATTERY (1-800-228-8379).
All types of batteries except alkaline batteries can be recycled at the Landfill through Manatee County’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection program on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 9: 00 a.m. to 3: 00 p.m.
Bio-Hazardous Material
Bio-hazardous materials are sharps, and absorbent items (gauze, cotton, bandages, etc.) that are saturated with blood or other regulated body fluids considered to be biomedical waste and managed in accordance with state rules found in Chapter 64E-16, Florida Administrative Code.
What are sharps?
Sharps are defined as items having the potential to puncture or lacerate, such as syringes with attached needles and disposable lancets. The Health Department is the only site that offers a Sharps Collection Program in Manatee County. This program is open to the public and free of charge. Put your sharps into a puncture-resistant plastic bottle (such as a laundry soap or fabric softener bottle) and tape closed. Put your name and phone number on the container. Then visit the Environmental Health Services office on 216 Sixth Ave. East in Bradenton for proper disposal of your sharps and to obtain an approved sharps container.
Additional information on the Department of Health's Program
Medicine Disposal
Don’t Flush That Leftover Medicine! Instead:
· Keep in the original container. This will help identify the contents if they are accidentally ingested.
· Mark out your name and prescription number for safety.
· For pills: add some water or soda to start dissolving them.
· For liquids: add something inedible like cat litter or dirt.
· Close the lid and secure with duct tape or packing tape.
· Place bottle(s) inside something non-see through and hide the container in the trash.
DO NOT place in the recycle bin. DO NOT give the drugs to anyone else. DO NOT flush the drugs down the toilet. DO NOT put in the trash without disguising them as human or animal scavengers may find them and misuse them.
