Many batteries contain heavy metals which can contaminate streams, rivers and the surrounding land.  Because of this potential environmental impact, batteries should not be disposed of in the trash or in your recycling bins.

Batteries contain various chemicals, especially in rechargeable ones like lithium-ion batteries commonly used in electronics. When these batteries are disposed of improperly and end up in landfills, they can undergo chemical reactions due to moisture and other factors, potentially leading to fires.

Remove Batteries From Devices Before Disposal

You will find that both single-use and rechargeable batteries are used in a variety of mainstream products today. Please remove batteries from electronic devices before placing the device in the trash.  

Recycling Batteries

When you properly dispose of batteries, you facilitate the recycling of batteries by permitted facilities for the recovery and reuse of valuable resources and “critical minerals” such as cobalt, lithium, and graphite.

Drop off your home-generated batteries (non-auto) at these additional locations at no charge.

Lead Acid Auto Batteries and up to 125 pounds of small household batteries are accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Facility located on Hawthorne Street in Eureka. 

Incidental amounts may be disposed of at dedicated locations at the HWMA Transfer Station when dropping off solid waste.

The HWMA Fluorescent Bulb Recycling Program allows residents to drop off up to 10 home-generated fluorescent bulbs for free at several convenient locations around the county. The Hazardous Waste “Red Shed” also allows for drop off. 

Businesses can make an appointment to dispose of fluorescent tubes and bulbs by calling the Hazardous Waste Hotline at (707) 441-2005. 

The California Integrated Waste Management Board estimates that 75 million waste fluorescent lamps and tubes are generated annually in California. These lamps and tubes contain over a half ton of mercury!

Fluorescent tubes and other lamps containing mercury pose a hazard once they reach the end of their lifespan. These non-working lamps cannot be simply disposed of with regular household waste; they must be recycled through an authorized facility.

What if I Accidentally Broke A Mercury-Containing Lamp?

Follow the guidelines listed on the Department of Toxic Substance Control’s website. 

Recycle home-generated used oil and oil filters at our Household Hazardous Waste Facility.

There are also many other locations in Humboldt County where you can recycle clean, recyclable used oil and filters. 

Contaminated oil is only accepted at the Hazardous Waste Facility. See the other locations listed below for residential drop off only.  

Businesses that need to recycle oil or filters must schedule an appointment. Please click here for more information.

What is your true oil change interval?  The 3,000 mile oil change standard is very outdated. Most vehicles manufactured after 1999 can go much longer before needing an oil change. Click here to see your vehicles info.

Each year about 850 million gallons of architectural paint are sold in the United States.
Did you know that about 10 percent goes unused and can be reused and recycled?

California’s Paint Stewardship Program ensures leftover paint is reused, recycled, or properly disposed. CalRecycle oversees the program, which is run by PaintCare, the nonprofit stewardship organization created by paint manufacturers. 

Paint Disposal Tips

Humboldt Waste Management recommends these practices when disposing of paint:

1. Use Up or Share: If possible, use up the paint for its intended purpose or share it with someone who can use it.
2. Dry it Out: For latex paint, you can solidify it by leaving the lid off and allowing it to dry completely. This can be sped up by adding an absorbent material like cat litter, sawdust, or a paint hardener product available at hardware stores. Once solidified, it can be disposed of in the regular trash.
3. Donate: If the paint is still usable, consider donating it to a local community organization, theater group, school, or other individuals who might have a use for it. HWMA also offers a shed to store small amounts of leftover paint that may be used by members of the community. (Subject to availability,) 
4. Dispose at HWMA’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility: Drop off paint, paint care supplies and other hazardous materials for proper disposal at the Hawthorne Street Household Hazardous Waste Facility. Most paint received by HHW gets recycled!

Remember to never pour paint down drains, onto the ground, or into storm sewers, as it can harm the environment and contaminate water sources.

What Products Are Covered?

Products covered by the PaintCare program and accepted for drop-off are defined as interior and exterior architectural coatings sold in containers of 5 gallons or smaller. They do not include aerosol coatings, industrial maintenance (IM), original equipment manufacturer (OEM), or specialty coatings.

• https://www.paintcare.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/xx-program-products-list.pdf

How About Large Volumes of Paint (Over 100 Gallons)? 

Quantities of 100 gallons of paint or more can be accepted directly by (and pickup coordinated through) https://www.paintcare.org/states/california/

• Paint Care Brochure: https://www.paintcare.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/ca-brochure.pdf

Needles and lancets, for both humans and pets need to be disposed of properly. Please do not throw them in your trash can or recycling bin as this poses many risks. Current disposal policies require that all medical sharps must be packaged in biohazard sharps container.

California has a state-wide program that provides free sharps containers to anyone that needs them.  This is a permanent program and you can request bins whenever you need them.   The service provider for our area is called Med-Project.

HWMA can also provide you a free sharps container but please consider this as a back up.  Your best option is to use the Med-Project order form to get containers delivered to you for free.

Homemade containers will not be accepted.

Major appliances or “white goods” (clothes washers/dryers, refrigerators, ovens, water heaters, air conditioners, etc) become valuable sources of scrap metal when they are no longer wanted. While HWMA no longer processes appliances, there are several options to consider within Humboldt County.

Freon Appliances

Recology Eel River
965 Riverwalk Dr Fortuna Map
(707) 725-5156

Non-Freon Appliances

Recology Eel River
965 Riverwalk Dr Fortuna Map
(707) 725-5156

Humboldt Sanitation
2585 Central Ave McKinleyville Map
(707) 839-3285

Bulky Item Pickup Through Recology

Recology offers twice/year bulky item pickup at no charge for its residential customers. Call (707) 822-0304 for more information.

Consider Donating Functional Appliances

Working small appliances and furniture in acceptable condition can be donated at Hospice of Humboldt and Humboldt Furniture.

In California, ammunition disposal is regulated by strict laws. These laws aim to ensure public safety and environmental protection with proper disposal methods. Violation of these laws can result in legal consequences, including fines and potential incarceration. 

Contact the Humboldt County Sheriff's Department at (707) 445-7251 or your local police department to discuss options for ammo disposal. 

To protect the public and the environment from potentially infectious disease causing agents, the Medical Waste Management Program (Program), in the Environmental Management Branch, regulates the generation, handling, storage, treatment, and disposal of medical waste by providing oversight for the implementation of the Medical Waste Management Act (MWMA).

HWMA’s EUREKA RECYCLING CENTER IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED.  Electronic waste is being accepted at the locations listed below.  Contact them for details about which specific items they accept.

Electronic Waste Disposal Locations 

The following locations offer E-Waste disposal. Contact the locations listed for pricing.

Recology Eel River
965 Riverwalk Dr Fortuna Map
(707) 725-5156

Humboldt Sanitation
2585 Central Ave McKinleyville Map
(707) 839-3285

What is eWaste?

Electronic waste or “E-Waste” may contain lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium or other heavy metals. When disposed in the landfill, these toxic materials can leach into our waterways and soil, damaging personal and environmental health.

The following items are considered E-Waste:

• TV's
• Computer Monitors
• Printers
• Computer Towers, Keyboards, Mice, Wires
• Cell Phones
• Microwaves
• Items with circuit boards or a digital face

Products that run on electricity but do not have circuit boards are considered regular trash.  This includes items like speakers, rotary phones  and vacuum cleaners.

Pharmaceuticals, whether prescription or over the counter will not be accepted at HWMA's facilities.

There are several convenient locations throughout the County where they can be dropped off at no charge. 

California has a state-wide program that provides free medication mail-back containers to anyone that needs them.  This program is also permanent and you can request free mail-back containers whenever you need them

This is their drop off site locator tool.

This is their free medication mail-back container order form.

* Please see Solid Waste disposal

In household use, propane tanks provide a convenient energy source for barbeques and small camping stoves. HWMA can accept small propane tanks smaller than 1 quart.

Tanks larger than a quart may be taken to:

Sequoia Gas - Arcata
1907 Heindon Road Arcata Map
(707) 822-4851
Disposal Cost: $1 per tank gallon

Low-level radioactive waste is regulated by the California Department of Public Health.