Posted on December 20, 2017 at 4:40 PM by Maggie Le
If you are one of the many people who like to start the year with a clean garage, you might be left scratching your head when it comes to how to properly dispose of certain items. Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients are considered to be "household hazardous waste" or "HHW." Household products such as paints, cleaners, pesticide, herbicide, oils, gas, antifreeze, e-waste, fluorescent lights, pool chemicals and batteries that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special care when you dispose of them.
Improper disposal of HHW can include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm drains, or in some cases putting them out with the trash. The dangers of such disposal methods might not be immediately obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health.
The closest Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (HHWCC) site for Fountain Valley residents is located at Gate No. 6 at the Rainbow Environmental Services facility at 17121 Nichols Street in Huntington Beach. It is open from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.
For your safety, please observe the following regulations in preparing for your visit to the HHWCC:
ü A maximum of 15 gallons or 125 pounds may be transported per vehicle, per trip.
ü Containers larger than five gallons will not be accepted.
ü Containers will NOT be returned.
ü Materials should be in original containers (except motor oil, fuels and antifreeze).
ü All containers must have lids and be sturdy, non-leaking, labeled and protected from breakage.
ü Do not combine different types of waste.
ü Do not mix oil-base paint with latex paint.
Please note that empty HHW containers with lids removed can be discarded in the trash. For additional information, call the Household Hazardous Waste Hotline at 714-834-6752, visit the Orange County Waste and Recycling Website (http://oclandfills.com), or visit http://rainbowes.com/hhw.php.