What is Household Hazardous Waste?
Unwanted household products labeled as flammable, toxic, corrosive, or reactive are household hazardous wastes (HHW). All hazardous products must include a signal word - DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION - on the label.
Hazardous products contain chemicals that are:
- Flammable or combustible: can be set on fire easily.
- Explosive or reactive: can detonate or explode through exposure to heat, sudden shock, or pressure.
- Corrosive: can destroy and cause burns to the skin and other living tissues.
- Toxic or poison: capable of causing injury or death through ingestion, inhalation, absorption or injection.
To avoid the adverse impact of improper disposal on our environment, please take your HHW to a permanent collection facility serving your community.
- Common HHW products
- Using HHW products safely
- Communities that participate in the program
- HHW collection events
- HHW collection facilities
- 2007 HHW brochure (pdf)
- Use safer alternatives to household cleaning supplies
- Paint calculator: How much paint do I need?
A typical home can contain a vast array of household hazardous products used for cleaning, painting, beautifying and disinfecting the house, yard, workshop and garage. Chemical-based household products from a single home may seem insigificant; but when millions of homes across the Kansas City metro area use similar products, the combined effect becomes a major problem when they are handled, stored and disposed of improperly.
The health and safety of people and animals, as well as the health of our communities and the environment is endangered when these types of products are discarded in household garbage, sinks or storm drains.