What is Household Hazardous Waste?
You probably have some form of household hazardous waste in your home. The City of Laurel Department of Public Works will not collect or accept drop offs for most hazardous wastes (exceptions listed on this page, below). Some common examples of Household Hazardous Waste include many common products such as:
- Oil based paints
- Paint thinners and solvents
- Brake fluid and antifreeze
- Used motor oil
- Car batteries
- Pesticides/herbicides
- Photographic chemicals
- Unwanted fuels (gasoline, kerosene)
- Old Smoke Detectors (ionization smoke detectors)
- Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs
- Alkaline and Lithium Ion Batteries
- Consumer Electronics
When disposed of improperly, these materials can harm our ground water and pose a threat to our sanitation workers. To eliminate the damage that these products may do to our air and water quality, we must manage our household hazardous materials.
What's Accepted by City of Laurel Public Works?
| Item | Not Accepted |
Charged for Pickup | Free Drop Off |
Free Pickup |
| Wet Paint | x | |||
| Oil Paint | x | |||
| Wood Stain | x | |||
| Other Car fluids | x | |||
| Pesticides / Herbicides | x | |||
| Dry Paint | x | |||
|
Car Batteries or large batteries |
x | |||
| Electronics | x | |||
| Light Bulbs | x | x | ||
| Smoke Detectors | x | x | ||
| Batteries (AAA, AA, B, C, D, DD, 9 volt) | x | x | ||
| Motor Oil | x | |||
| AntiFreeze | x |
Oil and Antifreeze
You may recycle your used Motor Oil and used Antifreeze at the Public Works Facility located at 305-307 First Street. Each receptacle is labeled as to its contents. Please pour these liquids into the proper receptacle. Please do not dispose of empty motor oil and antifreeze containers in your household trash container or recycling bin. These containers must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
Latex Paint
Empty or completely dried up Latex Paint Cans can be collected by Public Works crews as part of a Residential Special Pickup (see our Bulky Items page for more information). We do not accept drop-offs for Latex paint. Please call us to make arrangements for a collection. OIL BASED PAINT CANS cannot be collected in this manner. These are considered hazardous waste material.
Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs
Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and cannot be placed in regular household refuse or special pickup collections. The Department of Public Works has initiated a recycling program to collect used and broken bulbs. If the bulbs are broken, put the pieces in a glass container, place the glass container with the waste material in a plastic bag marked with an “X” and place next to your recycling container on your recycling day. For large tube bulbs contact the Department of Public Works at 301-725-0088 to make special arrangements and for additional information regarding the safe handling of CFL bulbs.
Household Batteries
Household batteries (AAA, AA, B, C, D, DD, 9 volt) can contain many different components that are considered toxic. Improper disposal of batteries (throwing them away in your trash collection) can cause serious environmental and health problems. Residents that have batteries to dispose of should call Public Works to let us know you will have batteries. The batteries should be placed in a plastic bag and put next to your recycling container on your recycling day. Your recycling crew will collect the batteries and safely dispose of them. Types of batteries that can be collected are alkaline, NiCad, lead acid, lithium and zinc-carbon. There are also tubes for drop-off for batteries at various City facilities, including the Department of Public Works at 305 First Street, City Hall on Sandy Spring Road and the Laurel Police Department on 5th Street.
Consumer Electronics
Televisions, computers, and other consumer electronics can contain many different components that are dangerous to the environment when thrown away improperly. Many local electronic shops The City of Laurel offer recycling for certain consumer electronics such as cell phones and printer cartridges. Consumer Electronics can also be collected as part of the City of Laurel's Bulky item pickup services.
Used Car batteries
We would rather you recycle, when you buy a new car battery, the auto parts store or garage usually wants your old one in exchange. Sometimes you have a car battery you need to get rid of without buying a new one. Car batteries contain acid, which is corrosive. If you have an old car battery, take it to a collection center or auto parts store for recycling. The Department of Public Works can also collect a used car battery as part of a bulky item pickup with a fee.
What about other Hazardous Materials?
All Other Hazardous Materials
Prince George's County has opened a drop off site for hazardous waste materials which is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Brown Station Road Landfill located at 11611 White House Road in Upper Marlboro (Note: This is a different entrance from the main entrance at 3500 Brown Station Road). The phone number to the Hazardous Waste Site is (301) 883-5045.
For more information about Household Hazardous Waste, you may call Mr. Robert Reading at the County's Household Hazardous Waste Office at (301) 883-6026, or you may e-mail him at [email protected]. TDD is (301) 985-3894.
