Seal of the City of St. Louis
City of St. Louis
Department of Streets
Refuse Division

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)

With regard to household hazardous waste, the best recommendation is to use materials the way they're intended to be used. If you have more than you need, share with family, friends, neighbors, etc. Otherwise, contract with a hazardous waste hauler; check the Yellow Pages under "Hazardous Material Control and Removal," or "Waste Recycling and Disposal Service and Equipment." Options for specific wastes are as follows:

Antifreeze

  • Check with your local automotive maintenance/repair shop or automotive parts store.

    Batteries, Automotive

  • Automotive Batteries

    Batteries, Household

  • Household Batteries

    Cylinders / Tanks (e.g., propane, helium, welding gases, etc.)

  • Use any remaining gas in the manner in which it was intended to be used.
  • Return it to where you purchased or acquired it (e.g., retailer, grocery store, supplier).
  • Check with the manufacturer noted on the label.
  • Shop with dealers listed in the telephone book under "scrap metals" (they may pay for the metal). However, be sure to let them know you have a compressed air or gas tank; they may decline it for safety reasons.
  • Reuse, recycle, or dispose of it through one of the companies listed in the Yellow Pages under "tanks metal" or "hazardous material control and removal."

    Fluorescent Bulbs

  • What You Can Do PDF | Word
  • Household Compact Fluorescent Lamp Use and Disposal http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2273.pdf
  • Fluorescent Bulb Recyclers http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub451.pdf
  • Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub2081.pdf
  • Fluorescent Lamps http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub24.pdf
  • Information on Proper Disposal of Compact Fluorescent Bulbs http://energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

    Medicine

  • Do not flush unused medications down the toilet or pour them down a drain. Medications may not be removed by sewage or wastewater treatment systems, and some drains empty directly into waterways (rather than through treatment plants).
  • Check with your pharmacist for disposal options; they may have community pharmacy sponsored days when unused medications can be returned for destruction.
  • From January through December 2008, Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) will be managing a program called Regional eXcess Medication Disposal Service (RxMEDS). Citizens can drop off expired or unwanted prescription or over-the-counter medications at participating Schnucks pharmacies. The medications will be incincerated (minimizing their effects on our waterways) and the plastic bottles will be recycled. For more information, visit http://208.56.227.251/rxmeds.htm. Patricipating Schnucks pharmacies located within the City of St. Louis and the hours they'll accept these items are:
    • 63109 - 7450 Hampton Avenue (2nd Thursday of the month – 10am-1pm)
    • 63115 - 3431 Union (2nd Thursday of the month – 10am-1pm)
    • 63118 - 3430 South Grand (4th Thursday of the month – 10am-1pm)
    • 63139 - 5055 Arsenal (2nd Thursday of the month – 10am-1pm)

    Mercury

  • HTML | PDF | Word

    Oil, Cooking

  • Check the Yellow Pages under "Greases." There are businesses that collect and recycle cooking oil and kitchen grease.
  • Consider converting used cooking oil or grease to biofuel (also known as biodiesel). For more information, visit the St. Louis Biofuels Club http://www.stlbiofuels.org/Main_Page.

    Oil, Motor

  • Motor Oil

    Paint

  • HTML | PDF | Word

    Paint, Latex

  • Safer Alternatives: No/Zero VOC (volatile organic compounds), Low VOC.

    Paint, Oil-Based

  • Safer Alternative: Latex paint.

    Paint Stripper

  • Safer Alternatives: Water-based strippers or sanding.

    Paint Thinner (e.g., mineral spirits, turpentine)

  • If using oil-based finishes, clean brushes in a jar filled with just enough paint thinner to cover the bristles. After removing the brushes, cover the jar and let the paint residue settle to the bottom. After approximately a week, drain off the clarified paint thinner into a second jar, then cap the jar and save the paint thinner for the next cleaning. Let the residue in the first jar dry and harden, then discard.
  • Safer Alternative: Use latex paints to avoid the need for paint thinners.

    Sharps (e.g., needles/syringes, medical blades, etc.)

  • Ask your health care provider, pharmacist, hospital, or veterinarian if they'll accept your sharps.
  • Participate in a sharps mail-back program.
  • Check in with a needle/syringe exchange program.
  • For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/medical/disposal.htm.

    Smoke Detectors

  • HTML | PDF | Word

    Alternatives - Better for Your Health and the Environment

    General

  • St. Louis Community Air Project - Detox Your Domicile http://www.stlcap.org/site/m_detox.html
  • United States Environmental Protection Agency - EnviroSense - Safe Substitutes at Home: Non-Toxic Household Products http://es.epa.gov/techinfo/facts/safe-fs.html
  • United States Environmental Protection Agency - Source Reduction Alternatives Around the Home http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/catbook/alt.htm
  • Care 2 - The Healthy Home http://www.care2.com/channels/lifestyle/home

    Cleaners

  • St. Louis Community Air Project - Less Toxic Alternatives for Cleaning http://www.stlcap.org/site/documents/LessToxicCleaningAlternates.pdf
  • Eartheasy - Non-Toxic Home Cleaning http://eartheasy.com/live_nontoxic_solutions.htm

    Lawn and Garden (avoiding synthetic herbicides, pesticides, etc.)

  • Native Plants http://stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/recycle/NativePlants.html
  • Alternative Control Outreach Research Network http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/acorn
  • Companion Planting: Basic Concept and Resources (National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service) http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/complant.html
  • Lawn and Garden (United States Environmental Protection Agency) http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/controlling/garden.htm
  • Least Toxic Control of Pests in the Home and Garden (Beyond Pesticides) http://www.beyondpesticides.org/alternatives/factsheets
  • Non-Pesticide Advisor (Pesticide Action Network North America) http://www.panna.org/resources/advisor

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    This Page Last Modified: Tuesday, 07-Oct-2008 08:51:30 CDT

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