Household Hazardous Waste

Too Toxic to Trash - Safe Disposal for Household Chemicals

Hazardous waste disposal is NOT available at SCARCE. View a list of locations below.

One-day collection event on June 5th, 2021 in Aurora. Open to any Illinois resident. Registration required. Learn more here.

Cleaning supplies, batteries, lead paint, and yard chemicals pose a threat to our soil, water, and air if not disposed of properly. Despite being common household materials, they should never be disposed of at home.

Illinois residents can responsibly dispose of household  hazardous waste for free at permanent collection sites and one-day collections throughout the state. Click here for a list of scheduled one-day collections.

Why? First off, it is illegal to dispose of liquids in the trash – hazardous or not. Second, our sanitary landfills are not equipped to safely contain hazardous materials. A small amount from your home may not seem to matter but once landfilled, household chemicals from millions of households can pose serious threats. Learn more of the basics of hazardous waste from the EPA.

Note: Only residential hazardous waste is accepted at the facilities above.  No  waste from businesses or organizations including schools, non-profits, houses of worship, and rental property managers. These organizations must contact a commercial hazardous waste company.

Accepted Materials

**CFL bulbs should be placed into sealed plastic bags. View more locations to recycle fluorescent bulbs.

Materials NOT Accepted

The following items are NOT accepted at hazardous waste collections.

Download the Eco-Cheat Sheet PDF from the sidebar on the left for a hard copy of this info as well as SCARCE collections, cooking oil recycling locations, and medicine disposal drop-offs.

Note: Hazardous waste disposal is NOT available  at SCARCE. Items must be taken to one of the facilities listed above.