Products around the house that contain chemicals which are toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive are hazardous household products. These products are safe when used and stored following label direction.  However, when the products become unusable and are no longer wanted, they become household hazardous waste.

Residents in Saint Louis County, St. Louis City, and Jefferson County can participate in the program. Residents must be 18 or older to drop off the waste. The program is for residential households only.  Click the blue Schedule A Reservation button in the top right corner to get started. Commercial entities/businesses, contractors, places of worship, and schools are not permitted to dispose of hazardous wastes at these facilities. Question 21 provides options for those entities. 

Residentially generated wastes including: paints (oil-based, craft and hobby paints), stains, varnishes, pesticides, herbicides, fire extinguishers, poisons, gasoline and other fuels, solvents and strippers, aerosol cans, motor oil and filters, gas cylinders (carbon dioxide and butane cylinders only), propane tanks (20 pounds or smaller), oxygen tanks (20 pounds or smaller), automotive freon, nail polish, fluorescent lightbulb tubes (20 or less per drop off), Isopropyl alcohol, rechargeable batteries (ex: lead acid batteries, lithium batteries, car/boat batteries), alkaline batteries (ex: AA/AAA batteries), antifreeze, brake and transmission fluid, pool chemicals and other acids and bases, wood preservatives, driveway sealant, vape pens, vegetable/cooking oil, photograph development chemicals (residential grade only), fertilizer, bottles of household cleaners, flammable liquids, and items containing mercury (such as thermometers, thermostats, and mercuric salts). All of these materials would fall under the first 50 pound free rule, and $1.70 per pound after that.

NOTE: Latex and acrylic paint is accepted at the facility for recycling, but residents will pay the full cost of this service ($.50 per pound)

Click the blue Schedule A Reservation button in the top right corner to get started.

Explosives and ammunition, radioactive waste, smoke detectors, holiday lights, medical waste (prescriptions, medical equipment, medicines), appliances, household trash, tires, electronics, TVs/monitors, unknown cylinders, helium tanks, and other bulky items and any hazardous material generated by a business or commercial entity.  Click here for recycling and disposal options for these items.

• South County Facility: 291 E. Hoffmeister, St. Louis MO, 63125.
• North County Facility: 4100 Seven Hills Drive, Florissant MO, 63033

• Hours are the same for each location. We are no longer doing exact reservation times to make it easier to work around your schedule. You now pick either a morning or afternoon time slot. You can come between any of these open hours after you make a reservation.

• WEEKDAYS:

          MORNING: OPEN 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM - please arrive by 11:50 before gates close at 12 pm

          CLOSED 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM FOR LUNCH

          AFTERNOON: BACK OPEN 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM - please arrive by 5:20 pm before gates close at 5:30 pm

• SATURDAYS:

          MORNING: OPEN 8:00-10:00 AM - please arrive by 9:50 am before gates close at 10 am

          CLOSED 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM FOR LUNCH

         AFTERNOON: BACK OPEN 10:30 AM-1:00 PM - please arrive by 12:50 before gates close at 1 pm

Like going to the doctor or hair stylist, the safest option we have right now is to know you are coming and have you schedule a reservation. We do not have staff available 24/7, and we want to ensure we have the safest protocols in place for your arrival. Processing and storing hazardous material can be dangerous and needs to be handled by trained staff. At this time we are asking residents to make a reservation. To help work around your schedule better, you can pick between a larger window of time to arrive during. You are going above and beyond to dispose of your waste properly, and we want to provide the best service to do that.  We understand the inconvenience of scheduling a reservation. Thank you for your cooperation. Click the blue Schedule A Reservation button in the top right corner to get started.

Possibly. If you bring latex paint you will be charged the recycling fee of $.50 per pound. For household hazardous waste materials, the first 50 pounds of HHW are free.  Any additional HHW materials over 50 pounds will have a cost of $1.70 per pound. See question 3 above to see what is considered hazardous material that falls under the first 50 pound free rule. You can make as many reservations as you wish throughout the year and will still get the first 50 pounds free with each visit. Limit one visit per day per household, with a 500 pound limit per drop off. If you have more than 100 pounds, we recommend alternative options listed here. Other places can handle larger loads and it will be significantly cheaper!

This program is funded in part through a grant from the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Construction of the Saint Louis County sites and supplemental disposal for St. Louis County residents comes from the Saint Louis County voter approved landfill surcharge fees.

The facilities will only accept credit cards and debit cards at this time. Cash and checks are not accepted.

Please bring proof of address such as driver's license or utility bill. There is nothing else you need to bring!

Yes, but please bring HHW in its original container(s), if possible.  If the original container is damaged, save as much of the label as possible to identify contents or write what the contents are on the container.

Yes.

• Tighten lids and ensure that all HHW containers are stored upright, preferably in a boxed lined with plastic or paper (think trash bags or old newspaper) to prevent and contain spills. 
• Keep chemicals in their original container. Label materials if they are not in their original container. If you don't know what the substance is, that is ok! Just let us know upon arrival.
• Do not mix chemicals! Arrange similar chemicals together when packing your car. Put pesticides together, solvents together, paints together in their own boxes.
• Ventilate your vehicle by keeping two windows open.
• Place your boxes of HHW in the trunk of your car or the in the bed of your truck.
• Drive directly to the permanent HHW facility after loading your HHW.

• Signs will direct you to the designated drop-off area. Please stay in your car and please do not smoke. 
• Roll down your window and state your name so staff can verify your reservation.
• The materials will be unloaded by our staff and placed on a scale.
• After confirming weights, you will be advised of any fees due. Please stay in your car and staff will be able to come to your window to take payment. Credit and debit cards are accepted.
• If you have a fee to pay, you will be given a receipt at your request.
• Exit the facility.

Up to 85% of the waste is recycled or recovered as waste to energy. The remainder is managed like regulated hazardous waste and in accordance with applicable regulations. 

Some examples of what happens to your waste:

oil based paints, solvents, oil/gas: fuel blended
pesticides/herbicides, strippers, poisons, acids/bases: incinerated
propane tanks, light bulbs, batteries, antifreeze, latex paint: recycled

The permanent program is replacing one-day collection events. Since 1998, the Saint Louis County Department of Health has held one-day collection events at an approximate cost of $7 million! In addition to offering a more convenient disposal option to residents that is offered year round, the permanent program is more cost effective than the one day events.

Proper management and disposal of HHW is expensive.  Funds used to subsidize the management fee for the first 50 pounds of HHW come from Saint Louis County landfill surcharge fees and Missouri Department of Natural Resources landfill tipping fees.  As landfills close and recycling increases, these funding sources are decreasing. By having residents share in the costs it will conserve funds and encourage responsible and conservative purchasing practices to reduce the amount of HHW created in the first place. You are more than welcome to break up your visits over time so your hazardous waste disposal is covered under the first 50 pounds that are free with each visit, or come and get rid of your waste all at once with possible fees. There is now a 500 pound limit per visit, so please plan accordingly. If you have more than 100 pounds, using options listed here. They can handle larger loads and it is significantly cheaper!

Latex paint is not considered a hazardous waste. Limited HHW funds need to be conserved for disposal of materials that are hazardous.
Latex paint recycling is offered through the program as a service to residents who want an alternative to landfill disposal. The $.50 per pound fee encourages residents to utilize alternative options for latex paint, starting with purchasing only the amount needed for the job and sharing leftovers. We have a 500 pound limit in place, which is about 50 full cans of paint. If you have more than 100 pounds, we recommend visiting Earthbound Recycling. They can handle larger loads and it will be significantly cheaper! If completely hardened or dried out, latex paint can be safely disposed of in the trash. We request you only bring us paint cans that still have liquid in them so the paint can be recycled. We can't do anything with dried up paint!  Please contact your hauler for additional requirements. See Proper Paint Disposal for directions on drying out paint cans.

Great news! We have secured enough funding (with the help of the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and landfill surcharge fees) to allow Saint Louis County, Saint Louis City, and Jefferson County residents to make as many reservations throughout the year as needed! 
Residents from all 3 jurisdictions can make as many reservations throughout the year and still get the first 50 pounds of HHW free with each visit. Limit one visit per day per household, 500 pound limit per drop off. if you have more than 100 pounds, we recommend using alternative options listed here. They can handle larger loads and it is significantly cheaper!

The program can only accept residential hazardous waste. Commercially generated waste is prohibited by law to be collected at our facilities. This includes businesses, not-for-profit groups, schools, places of worship, farms, conditionally exempt small quantity generators (CESQG) and government agencies. These entities should contact commercial hazardous waste companies for their needs. See question 21 for a list of companies in the area.

Contact any of these commercial waste haulers for disposal options.