Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) includes products used to clean your home or chemicals that are considered fuel. They require special handling at the disposal facility and CANNOT be placed in the regular trash or recycle bins. The following are examples of HHW:

  • All acid based chemicals
  • Ethylene glycol
  • Old gasoline, kerosene, paint strippers, and lamp oil
  • Latex and oil-based paints (option: let paint harden in cans and then dispose of in the regular trash bin)
  • Household cleaners
  • Used oil and oil filters
  • Fertilizers
  • Pesticides and herbicides
  • Auto batteries
  • Small quantities of mercury
  • Other flammable household liquids

How do I dispose of Household Hazardous Waste?

Residents

To dispose of HHW, the City of Palm Desert and Burrtec Waste and Recycling Services, Inc. encourage residents to use the At-Home HHW Collection Program. Residents simply contact Burrtec at (760) 340-2113 to schedule a pick-up and place the materials in a secure location not accessible to the general public until collection day. Collections are limited to four (4) per calendar year and cannot exceed 15 gallons or 125 lbs. per pick up. Smaller items must fill a 13″x15″ box (mixed materials acceptable) to be eligible for pick-up. NOTE: Explosives, radioactive, or biomedical waste are not acceptable.

Businesses

Palm Desert businesses that generate small quantities of hazardous waste (up to 27 gallons or 220 lbs. or 2.2 lbs of extremely hazardous waste per month) are considered Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators (CESQG). Qualifying businesses simply contact the CESQG hotline at (800) 952-5566 to schedule an appointment to drop-off their hazardous waste (to include U-Waste and E-Waste) to the City’s HHW facility located at 41-800 Corporate Way in Palm Desert. The City pays for the first $300.00 of disposal costs annually for qualifying businesses and verification of business location is required (e.g. a City business license).

Source: www.cityofpalmdesert.org