How to safely dispose of household hazardous waste

Items like paint, cleaners, lawn and garden products, batteries and nail polish are all considered to be household hazardous waste. If you’re ever in doubt, look on the container for labels marked WARNING, CAUTION and DANGER. Safe disposal of HHW is important to protecting the health and safety of our homes, children, pets, communities, wildlife and environment. These items should never be disposed of in the trash or poured down the drain. Instead, you should take them to a designated HHW facility or mobile event. 

There are permanent HHW facilities located throughout the region.

Missouri

The Regional HHW Collection Program provides access to proper HHW disposal for residents living in Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties in Missouri. Residents of participating communities in Missouri may also bring household hazardous waste to a permanent collection facility free of charge with proof of residency. 

Kansas

Kansas residents also have separate programs to dispose of hazardous waste. If you live in Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami or Wyandotte counties, you can take your waste to your respective county HHW facility. There is an additional facility for the city of Olathe.

To help make things easier, the MARC Solid Waste Management District (MARC SWMD) partners with participating communities to hold HHW mobile collection events from April through September. The 2026 event locations include Independence, Platte County, Parkville, Gladstone, Blue Springs, Liberty, eastern Jackson County, Belton, and Excelsior Springs. Mobile events service a limited number of cars.  

Area programs accept residential waste only. They will not accept waste from home-based businesses, nonprofits, churches, and rental properties.