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Household Hazardous Waste Collection at Porter County Expo
October 8, 2022 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
When:
Saturday, October 8th, 2022
9:00am – 2:00pm
Where:
Porter County Expo Center
215 E. Division
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Enter at Gate 3
Note: Tires will also be collected at this event, for Porter County residents ONLY.
We all have them; old bottles and cans of pesticides, gasoline, fertilizer, oil, etc., in our garages, sheds and basements. Sometimes the containers are so old, the labels are unreadable!
Porter County Recycling sponsors a number of mobile household hazardous waste collection events each year to help Porter County residents responsibly dispose of these unwanted products. There is no permanent location in the county that accepts these products on a regular basis. Residents in Lake County and LaPorte County have their own collections, sponsored by their solid waste districts.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the average household disposes of one pound of hazardous waste each year. “Household hazardous waste” or “HHW” are unwanted products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients that require special care upon disposal. Learn more about managing HHW here.
What’s Accepted at this Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Event?
- Aerosol cans
- Alcohol-based lotions
- Ammonia-based cleaners
- Ammunition
- Antifreeze
- Asbestos
- Auto body filler
- Auto paint
- Bathroom cleaners
- Batteries (household and automotive)
- Car wax with solvent
- Cooking oil
- Corrosives
- Diesel
- Disinfectants
- Drain cleaners
- Driveway sealant
- Dry cleaning solvents
- Expired medications – in original containers (controlled substances not accepted)
- Fiberglass tubes
- Fire extinguishers
- Fireworks (consumer grade)
- Flammable liquids
- Flares
- Floor care products
- Fluorescent tubes (tape together)
- Fuel-oil based
- Fungicides
- Gasoline
- Gun cleaning solvents
- Herbicides
- Insecticides
- Kerosene
- Lighter fluid
- Mercury containing products (fluorescent tubes lights – transport carefully by either taping together (one piece of tape will suffice) or place in the packaging of your replacement bulbs; CFLs, thermometers, thermostats, switches, etc. – seal in a bag)
- Metal polish
- Moth balls
- Nail polish
- Nail polish remover
- Oil
- Oven cleaners
- Paint (oil-based only; NO LATEX PAINT ACCEPTED)
- Paint brush cleaner with solvent or TSP
- Paint stripper
- Paint thinner
- Pesticides
- Photographic chemicals
- Poisons
- Primer
- Rodenticide
- Rust remover
- Sharps (needles) – place in hard plastic bottles, like detergent bottles
- Septic tank degreasers
- Small helium tanks
- Small propane cylinders
- Smoke detectors
- Swimming pool chemicals
- Thinners and solvents
- Tires (at this event ONLY and ONLY for Porter County residents
- Toilet bowl cleaners
If you material isn’t listed, bring it out! We’ll let you know if we accept it.
Items NOT Accepted at HHW Events
- Commercial hazardous waste
- Compressed gas cylinders
- Containers larger than 30 gallons
- Controlled medications
- Electronics
- Fireworks (commercial grade)
- Latex paint
- Medical waste other than medicine and sharps
- Large propane cylinders (BBQ)
- Radioactive materials
Please Note: We no longer accept latex paint at these HHW events. Learn more about latex paint disposal here.
Be Kind to the Environment and Dispose of Household Hazardous Waste Properly
Examples of improper household hazardous waste disposal include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, burning them, flushing them down the toilet, burying them, dumping them in vacant lots or in ditches, or putting them out with your trash.
The dangers of these disposal methods might not be apparent, but improper disposal can contaminate lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater (located below the ground before it goes to a river, stream or well); pollute the air with dangerous fumes; or put your sanitation and landfill workers at risk for serious injury.
Learn More
Watch this video to learn more about Porter County Recycling’s Household Hazardous Waste event.