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Many common household products contain chemicals that are corrosive, reactive, flammable, or toxic. Examples include: batteries, fluorescent lights, mercury thermometers, pool water and chemicals, solvent-based glue, antifreeze, engine cleaners and degreasers, gasoline, motor oil, paints and strippers, wood preservatives, nail polish, fertilizers and pesticides. |
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Never dump these hazardous wastes into the trash, sink, toilet, gutter, or storm drain. These products will pollute our groundwater, creeks, rivers, and bays. Visit the websites below to learn how to safely recycle or dispose of household hazardous waste. |
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These hazardous wastes are of special concern to wastewater agencies:
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| Fats, Oil & Grease |
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Greasy food waste is a leading cause of clogs and costly repairs in the public wastewater system and private sewer laterals, the pipeline that connects a home to the sewer main.
To avoid sewage backups, never put fat, oil, or greasy food down the garbage disposal. Wipe greasy pans and dishes with a paper towel and place the towel with food scraps in your green waste cart. The Tri-Valley’s garbage companies will turn your food scraps into productive compost. For details on what you can put in your green waste cart, contact the garbage service for Dublin or San Ramon or Pleasanton.
You can dispose of small amounts of liquid cooking oil in tightly sealed containers in the trash. Or collect grease in a resealable container and bring it to your county’s hazardous waste facility.
The Singing Sewermen of Thames, England British sewer workers perform in a video asking residents to keep fats, oils, grease and disposable wipes out of the sewer system during the holidays. Their advice is valid year-round and also applies to their American cousins “across the pond.” Our wastewater operators agree: “No grease down the drain, put it in the trash!
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| Medications & Sharps |
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Please do not flush expired or unused medications down the sink or toilet. Many drugs cannot be completely removed from sewage during wastewater treatment. Traces will end up in the San Francisco Bay where they could harm fish and other aquatic life. Our community offers many safe disposal options for drugs that protect you, your family, and our waterways. Medications: By law, police must oversee disposal of controlled substances, which include sleeping pills, pain killers, behavioral drugs, cough syrup with codeine, and other drugs with great potential for abuse or addiction
(see complete list). These locations accept controlled and non-controlled drugs (no sharps):
These locations accept non-controlled drugs only:
Sharps: To protect the workers who handle our trash, it is illegal in California to put medical “sharps” in the trash. Bring needles, syringes, lancets, epi-pens, etc. to a collection center in an approved sharps container (sold at pharmacies and available online). Never flush sharps because they can injure wastewater workers. Safe disposal options in our community include:
Note: these options are for home-generated drugs and sharps only. State law requires businesses to use a licensed medical waste hauler. |
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