All Household Hazardous Waste events have been canceled for the duration of the Health Officer’s Order and for some additional time once the Order is lifted. You can check in with San Mateo County’s Household Hazardous Waste Program here for up-to-date notifications.
However, during this time as we are staying indoors, it is important to remember that not all products are safe to be disposed of in your trash can or landfill. For these accepted toxic waste items, we recommend safely storing these items in your home until the centers are reopened for collection.
Here are important tips for storing these materials:
DO:
- DO keep the containers tightly sealed. If there are spills or leaks, store that container separately and use kitten litter to absorb the spills.
- DO keep products in their original containers and keep all the labels on. This helps you to remember what everything is and it also helps the HHW workers.
- DO store HHW out of reach and out of sight from pets and children.
- DO follow the storage directions provided by the manufacturer (i.e. do not allow to freeze, do not store in humid areas).
DO NOT:
- DO NOT store products in food containers.
- DO NOT mix products together. Mixing products could be very dangerous.
- DO NOT store products near sun exposure, heat, flames or sparks.
- DO NOT smoke in areas of your home where HHW products are stored.
The EPA and FEMA have more resources on proper HHW storage.
A simple yet powerful way that you can protect your local environment and yourself is to make sure that we dispose of this toxic waste at our local collection centers. Thank you for helping us to keep these toxic materials from entering and polluting our waterways.
Stay safe and healthy,
The Flows To Bay Team
