Household Hazardous Waste

All Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) mobile collection sites are open from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at least one day per month throughout the year. Residents can bring their hazardous waste to these sites at no cost, helping keep hazardous materials out of the landfill. All sites are CLOSED on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day and Thanksgiving. Boise sites are also closed during the entire week of Christmas.

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Collection Site Rules

Things to know at collection sites:

• HHW Mobile Collection Sites are available to residents only.

• Businesses who qualify as Very Small Quantity Generators (produce less than 220 lbs. of hazardous waste per month) may qualify to use the HHW program for a fee, by appointment only, on Fridays at the HHW facility at the Ada County Landfill. The waste must be generated within Ada County and no larger quantity generators will be accepted. Please call 208-577-4737 at least one day in advance to arrange a waste drop off.

• Residents may bring their HHW materials to the HHW facility at the Ada County Landfill on Fridays and Saturdays between 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. for free.

• For safety reasons, please remain in your vehicle at all times. A staff member will come to your vehicle to assist you.

• Sites are typically busiest upon opening and a few hours prior to closing. Expect to wait during these times.

• Expect extended wait times after holidays.

• Please be patient if there is a line. The contracted staff is working hard to ensure we safely dispose of your hazardous waste.

• There are limits on certain types of waste; please see the accepted materials list for those limits.

• Only small loads of about 25 items are accepted at collection sites.

• Larger loads, or major clean-out loads, must be taken to the Hazardous Waste Facility at the Ada County Landfill on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

• Do NOT leave items at a site when collection vehicle is not present, as it creates hazardous conditions and violates Boise City Code.

• The program does not accept explosives, ammunition, radioactive materials, biomedical waste or tires.

Do not leave items at a site when collection vehicle is not present, as it creates hazardous conditions and violates Boise City Code.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) comes from products used for cleaning, home improvements, automobile maintenance, and lawn and garden care. Many of these products contain ingredients that can harm human health and the environment.  Properly disposing of these hazardous products will keep our community safe and clean.

Items such as solvents, paint/stain/varnish, yard/garden products (including pesticides and herbicides), batteries, automotive products (including gasoline and oil), compact fluorescent light tubes, TVs, and computer monitors are considered hazardous waste.

If something is hazardous, the label will contain one of these signal words:

• Caution
• Danger
• Poison
• Warning
• Corrosive
• Flammable
• Explosive
• Oxidizer
• Irritant
• Environmental Hazard

If the label contains one or more of these words, it is hazardous waste and is accepted at household hazardous waste collection sites.  Do not throw hazardous waste in with your trash, recycling or compost.

Did you know that improper Lithium Ion battery disposal can be a safety hazard to collection truck drivers? Lithium Ion batteries can catch fire if disposed of incorrectly.

In 2020, Boise Fire responded to a trash trailer fire at Republic Services that was caused by the improper disposal of a Lithium Ion battery.

View our disposal tips video to learn how to properly dispose of batteries and keep our collection drivers and equipment safe.

View or download the Boise Fire Department’s Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Tips brochure to learn how to safely dispose of these batteries and find other helpful safety tips.

Below is a list of common battery types and how to dispose of them properly

• Alkaline - (AA, AAA, C, D)
  Throw in trash cart
• Lithium (non-rechargeable) and Lithium Ion (rechargeable)
  Take to a mobile HHW collection site
• Lead-acid
  Take to a mobile HHW collection site or Return car and motorcycle lead-acid batteries to local battery distributors like Interstate Batteries or Sterling Batteries to receive a battery core refund
• E-Cigarettes and Vape Pens
  Take to a mobile HHW collection site
• All other battery types (e.g. zinc-carbon, silver oxide, mercury “button”)
  Take to a mobile HHW collection site
• E-Bike Batteries
  The Battery Network takes selected E-Bike Batteries. Please check the website to confirm that The Battery Network accepts a specific manufacturer and to find drop off locations near you.
  The Battery Network website

For more information, call 208-608-7136

We can take up to 25 items or small loads that will easily fit into the cargo area of a small SUV or trunk of a car. Larger quantities or pickup truck-sized loads of household hazardous waste must be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility at the Ada County Landfill. If you have questions about specific materials, please contact us or call 208-608-7136.

VIEW COLLECTION GUIDE

Automotive Products

• Used motor oil (max. of 25 gallons)
• Used motor oil can also be collected curbside on your regular trash pickup day. Please see the digital guide for requirements.
• Antifreeze
• Old gasoline (max. 5 gallons) - Up to 5 gallons can be poured into a 30-gallon drum at collection sites and container returned. Larger quantities must be taken to facility at landfill where there is unlimited capacity to empty containers and return.
• Road flares - Accepted at both HHW Mobile Collection Sites and the HHW Facility at the Ada County Landfill.

Batteries

All types (except alkaline batteries, which are not hazardous; please dispose of those in your trash)

Gas Cylinders / Propane and Helium Tanks / Camping Fuels

• Propane – Twenty-pound (BBQ size) refillable tanks and one-time use, one-pound camping style canisters
• Unused camping fuel canisters or fire starters that contain other types of fuels (ie., Gel)
• Unused solid camping fuel cubes
• Helium tanks (retail size used for parties etc…). See Industrial Compressed Gas Cylinders for larger tanks

Products Containing Mercury and Elemental Mercury

• Fluorescent light tubes and compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. (LED light bulbs do not contain mercury and can be thrown in the trash.)
• Mercury thermometers
• Mercury thermostats
• Button batteries
• Antiques (barometers, clocks, mirrors, antique necklaces from Mexico)
• Containers of elemental mercury of any size (please note: mercury is heavy. Do not transport mercury in glass containers)

Paints and Stains (Max 25 Gallons)

• Latex paint and oil-based paints and stains
• Solvents
• Paint thinners
• Wood stains

Electronic Equipment and Small Appliances

• Computer equipment like laptops, hard drives, LCDs, computer monitors (limit 3)
• Televisions
  • Flat Screen TVs of any size
  • Televisions smaller than 27” including those with Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) (limit 2)
  • Console and Rear Projection Televisions and televisions larger than 27” are not accepted at the HHW Mobile Collection Sites. These must be taken to the Ada County Landfill Recovery and Diversion Area (past the scales)
• Audio/Visual Equipment (e.g. DVDs, VCRs, camcorders, cameras, radios)
• Cell phones
• Countertop microwaves, blenders and toasters
• E-Cigarettes and Vape Pens
• Small household appliances containing rechargeable batteries that cannot be removed

Yard and Garden

• Pesticides
• Insecticides
• Garden chemicals
• Pool/spa chemicals

• Explosives
• Ammunition - Residents with unwanted ammunition can call Impact Guns at 208-321-1288. Location: 11655 W. Executive Drive, Boise 83713. Unwanted ammunition will be accepted with manager's approval. Note You must call and receive approval prior to arriving with your unwanted ammunition. Be prepared to provide a detailed description of the unwanted items.
• Radioactive materials
• Biomedical waste
• Electric mowers
• Console televisions ((must be taken to the Recycling Area at the Ada County Landfill)
• Tires - Accepted at Ada County Landfill for a small fee. Call 208-577-4725 for assistance.
• Bicycle tires - Try to donate to a bicycle shop and if not, place them in the trash.
• Paint from painting contractors, property management companies, or other businesses (see Commercial Hazardous Waste).
• Prescription drugs (Learn more about Medication Disposal)
• Commercial Hazardous Waste - Business wastes are only collected at the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility.
• Compressed gas cylinders used for industrial purposes (i.e., welding) should be returned to supplier/distributor when empty.
• Oxygen cylinders used for medical purposes should be returned to the supplier/distributor when empty.
• Large Electronics (tabletop printers, scanners, over-the-range microwaves, fax machines) must be taken to the Recovery and Diversion area of the Ada County Landfill, or to a local electronic waste recycler. Ink cartridges do not need to be removed from printer.
• Marine Flares

Who Can Participate?

Businesses or organizations located within Ada County that are considered a Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and/or generate wastes regulated under the Universal Waste Rule (e.g. fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs).

Under RCRA, VSQG must meet three conditions:

• Produce less than 220 pounds of hazardous waste each month
• Produce less than 2.2 pounds of acutely hazardous waste [as defined in 40CFR261.31, 261.32, 261.33(e)] each month
• Store no more than 2,200 pounds of hazardous waste on site

Calculating How Much Waste Your Business Produces

To determine generator status, you must do the following:

• Look at all waste streams generated at your facility
• Determine which waste streams are hazardous
• Estimate the quantity of hazardous waste generated and stored each month (Use the standard of one gallon equals eight pounds to estimate total pounds.)

If your business includes more than one location, calculate quantities from each location separately. If the total amount of wastes generated at your facility is less than 220 pounds per month AND you also meet the other criteria, your business is eligible to register for the program.

Contact the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality at 208-373-0502 or call the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility at 208-577-4736 for more information.

Waste to Register

All wastes that fall under RCRA and the Universal Waste Rule (including fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs, and other mercury-containing devices). Electronics accepted include televisions, computers (monitor, keyboard, mouse, and CPUs), printers, fax machines, and scanners. Dental office wastes such as x-ray fixer solution and lead foils are accepted. Unused dental amalgam is accepted. However, used amalgam or teeth containing amalgam fillings is considered biomedical waste and is not accepted. Cell phones are also accepted.

Explosive, radioactive, biomedical wastes, and tires ARE NOT accepted.

Cost

Cost depends on the type of waste that is generated and is charged by the pound. Businesses are charged disposal costs only. There is no fee for electronics.

How to Register

Once your business is verified as a VSQG, call Ada County at 208-577-4736 and get an application, certification, and inventory report form.

Where to Take Waste

Business waste is accepted each Friday at the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility located at Ada County Landfill. Business wastes are accepted by appointment only. Each business is responsible for the safe transport of their wastes to the facility. Business wastes are NOT accepted at Boise City, Eagle, Kuna, or Meridian mobile collection sites.

• Household Hazardous Waste - Mobile Collection Sites
• Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Tips
• Medication Drop-off Locations
• Sharps Handling and Disposal