Many common products found in your home such as oil-based paint, mercury, gasoline, degreasers, cleaning compounds, and garden chemicals may be hazardous and they should be used and disposed of carefully. These community events help prevent pollution and protect the people handling your garbage.

This service is open to all resident of Douglas County. Please bring a utility bill, phone bill, or driver’s license to verify your address. (A contribution of $25 is requested to help offset the high cost of hazardous waste disposal.)

Items they WILL accept:

• House and garden chemicals.
• Automotive fluids.
• Fluorescent light bulbs and CFLs.
• Propane tanks (1-20 lbs.)
• Vehicle and household batteries.
• Items containing mercury.
• Car and pickup truck tires, off rim.
• Oil-based paint and paint products (see below).

Items they CANNOT accept:

• Business and commercial waste.
• Radioactive waste.
• Electronic waste (computers, TVs, etc.).
• Explosive waste.
• Smoke detectors.
• Waste containing asbestos.
• Compressed gases other than propane.
• Tractor tires.
• Scrap metal.
• Medical waste.

Latex paint waste disposal and reduction tips:

• Water-based latex paint should be disposed of in regular household garbage, IF it is completely dried out.
• Mixing the paint with kitty litter, dirt, or concrete-mix will help speed the drying process.
• Dry cans of pain, with lids removed, can be discarded in the trash.
• Buy only what you need by carefully estimating the square footage of the surfaces to be painted. One gallon of paint will cover about 350 square feet.
• Ask your local paint store, if they provide small (1-2 ounce) samples for color testing before investing in gallons of paint.
• Give any leftover paint to a neighbor in need.