Household Hazardous Waste

According to the EPA, household hazardous waste (HHW) is leftover household products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances, or that are corrosive or toxic. Products, such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides can contain hazardous ingredients and require special care when you dispose of them. Carroll County hosts free, household hazardous waste collection events for county residents each year.

County collection events are the highly preferred method for the safe, responsible management of household hazardous waste. 

For our Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events, Carroll County Government hires a specially permitted contractor, licensed to handle hazardous materials. Materials are collected and handled in the most environmentally responsible manner possible. Residents are strongly encouraged to safely store household hazardous waste materials until the next collection. These events are typically held twice a year in the spring and fall. Click here for information about our next Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event. We post details about HHW events on our website and our Facebook page. You may also stay updated on HHW event notifications by email or SMS/text message by subscribing to Carroll Connect (this will subscribe you to all county-related news).

General suggestions for the storage of HHW:

• Keep substances in the original containers
• Be sure the label is securely affixed to the container
• If the original container is leaking, enclose it in a larger container that is labeled appropriately
• Keep in a cool, dry place
• Keep substances out of reach of children and pets
• Keep incompatible chemical products separated
• Periodically check containers for deterioration

According to Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 261.4, wastes generated by normal household activities (e.g., routine house and yard maintenance) are excluded from the definition of hazardous waste. Specifically, wastes covered by the household hazardous waste exclusion must satisfy two criteria:

1. The waste must be generated by individuals on the premise of a temporary or permanent residence, and
2. The waste stream must be composed primarily of materials found in wastes generated by consumers in their homes.

Because of this distinction, if waiting until the next HHW event is not possible, small amounts of HHW can be disposed of in regular trash or brought to the County's Northern Landfill, located at 1400 Baltimore Boulevard, Westminster, MD 21157 (standard tipping fee for disposal will apply). Liquids should be mixed with enough of an absorbent material such as clumping kitty litter, shredded paper, mulch, rags, sawdust, etc., so that they may be processed as solid waste. If choosing to dispose of household hazardous waste with regular trash, your waste hauler may have restrictions on the materials they will collect; please contact them for details before putting these items out for collection – click here for hauler contact information. Please see the list below for information about what items are accepted at our Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events.

Examples of Acceptable Items: 

 Unacceptable Items: