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Hazardous Waste | |
When we think about "Hazardous Waste," we tend to think about barrels of sludge or glowing radioactive ooze, but it's not all so obvious. Toxic products can lurk in many corners of your business; pesticides for landscaping, oil in the motor pool, worn out fluorescent bulbs and chemical cleaners in the maintenance area. When these products are left over, unwanted or unusable, they turn into potentially harmful waste, also known as Hazardous Waste.
It is easy to imagine why certain toxics, for example a bottle of weed killer or a canister of diesel fuel, might pose a danger to us and the environment. Inhaling fumes and skin contact can damage our health, especially that of our children. Throwing these products into the trash or pouring them down the sink or into a storm drain pollutes our soil, groundwater, rivers and bay, and can harm wildlife.
Hidden ToxicsOther hazardous waste is less obvious in its toxicity. For example, electronics such as computers and cell phones, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and thermostats are safe while in use, but turn into toxic waste when discarded. The reason is that they contain heavy metals like mercury and cadmium, and other harmful chemicals that are released into the environment when these products are crushed in the landfill.
Learn more about:
Household Hazardous Wastes (HHW) are leftover, unwanted, unusable or spent products that contain toxic ingredients. These products must be disposed of properly to protect the health of our families and the environment.
Limited quantities of the items listed below can be dropped off for a fee at SVSWA’s HHW collection facilities. Additional drop-off locations exist for highlighted items – click on the link for that information. Please, do not transport more than 15 gallons or 125 pounds of HHW. Bring chemicals in secure containers and do not mix them! Do not bring explosives, radioactive material, drums, medical Waste and unstable chemicals.
Sun Street HHW Facility
139 Sun Street
Salinas, CA 93926
Phone: (831) 424-5520
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday 9:00am - 4:00pm
No Businesses Allowed on Monday; Residential Only*
*Please call for an appointment.
Paint contains solvents and other chemicals considered hazardous. Paint that ends up in the garbage, sink or storm drains can pollute our soil and drinking water, and harm wildlife. Leftover latex paint can be dropped off for free at any of the locations listed below.
Note that any other type of paint is only accepted at the SVSWA's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility in Salinas.
For a list of retail locations that participate in free paint drop-off program click here
| Salinas: HHW Collection Facility * 139 Sun Street, Salinas, CA 93901 (831) 424-5520 * Get FREE recycled latex paint at this location. |
Gonzales: "ABOP" station at Johnson Canyon Landfill 31400 Johnson Canyon Road (831) 675-2165 |
King City: "ABOP" station at Jolon Road Transfer Station 52654 Jolon Rd. King City, CA 93930 (831) 385-6213
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Never send cooking oils, fats or greases down the drain. Even small amounts can cause problems in your home plumbing or further down the sewer line. Instead, used cooking oil can be recycled into soaps, industrial lubricants, biodiesel and other products.
Cooking oil is accepted for recycling at SVSWA's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility in Salinas and at:
Salinas Tallow Co.
1 Work Circle
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 422-6436
Used motor oil is a hazardous waste and dangerous contaminant. Just one quart of motor oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of ground water. That's enough water to cover a football field more than one inch deep!
If you do your own oil change, please be careful to avoid spills and collect the oil and filter for recycling. Please use only the County's used motor oil recycling containers and filter bags, available for free from your garbage hauler and many used motor oil collection centers (see below).
Used motor oil and filter recycling is easy in the Salinas Valley. You have several options:
- Curbside collection:
Single-family homes can recycle used motor oil and filters on the curb on their regular collection day. For details and set-out rules, follow the links below:
Curbside Recycling in Salinas
Curbside Recycling Soledad, Gonzales, Greenfield
Curbside Recycling in King City
- Drop-off at a collection center:
The following locations accept used motor oil and filters free of charge and/or provide used motor oil collection containers and filter bags:
Accepts used motor oil |
Accepts used oil filters |
Free oil recycling containers |
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Castroville |
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| Pettigrew & Foletta Auto Parts 10865 Merritt St. (831) 633-2431 |
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| Napa Auto Parts 1151 Merritt St. (831) 633-6271 |
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Chualar |
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| Alcala's Automotive Machine Shop 24311 Grant St. (831) 679-0146 |
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Gonzales |
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| Auto Zone 851 R 5th St. (831) 675-8444 |
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| "ABOP" station at Johnson Canyon Landfill 52654 Jolon Rd. (831) 675-2165 |
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| RAC Muffler & Tire 725 B Alta St. (831) 675-0223 |
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| Greenfield | |||
| Greenfield Towing & Tire Service 40251 El Camino Real |
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King City |
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| Auto Zone 510 Canal Street (831) 385-0773 |
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| "ABOP" station Jolon Road Transfer Station 52654 Jolon Road (831) 385-6213 |
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| King City Tire 1011 Broadway (831) 385-6115 |
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| Kragen Auto Parts (5 gal max) 815 Broadway (831) 385-8430 |
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| Owens Chevron 1 Broadway Circle (831) 385-5291 |
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Pajaro |
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| Pajaro Auto Center 225 4B Salinas Rd. (831) 761-3430 |
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Prunedale |
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| Auto Zone 17643 Vierra Canyon Rd. (831) 663-6820 |
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| Dick's Valero Service 1040 El Camino Real (831) 663-3207 |
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| Prunedale Lube & Auto Care 8485 Prunedale Rd. North (831) 663-9400 |
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Salinas |
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| Auto Zone 1541 N. Sanborn Rd. (831) 772-0937 |
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| Auto Zone 1011 East Alisal St. (831) 757-1904 |
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| Auto Zone 1488 North Main St. (831) 444-0701 |
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| Bridgestone Firestone Store 150 Northridge Shopping Ctr. (831) 449-4434 |
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| Dick Adams Automotive 242 Griffin St. (831) 758-8277 |
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| Jiffy Lube 228 North Main Street (831) 422-5823 |
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| Kragen Auto Parts (5 gal max) 989 North Main St. (831) 753-0829 |
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| Kragen Auto Parts (5 gal max) 43A South Sanborn Rd (831) 758-4626 |
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| Kragen Auto Parts (5 gal max) 1219 South Main St. (831) 422-9074 |
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| Kragen Auto Parts (5 gal max) 610 Williams Road (831) 757-4288 |
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| Lopez Auto Repair 102 West Market St. (831) 758-1993 |
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| "ABOP" station Sun Street Transfer Station 139 Sun St. (831) 424-5535 |
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Soledad |
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| Kragen Auto Parts (5 gal max) 2233 H De La Rosa Sr St. (831) 678-3008 |
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Antifreeze
Antifreeze contains toxic chemicals that can cause serious health problems and even death. It is especially dangerous to animals and children because of its sweet taste. Two tablespoons of antifreeze can kill a small dog!
Never dispose of spent antifreeze in the garbage, toilet, sink or storm drains. Please take it to one of the drop-off locations listed below for recycling.
| Gonzales: "ABOP" station at Johnson Canyon Landfill 31400 Johnson Canyon Road (831) 675-2165 King City: "ABOP" station at Jolon Road Transfer Station 52654 Jolon Rd (831) 385-6213 Owens Chevron 1 Broadway Circle (831) 385-5291 Prunedale: Prunedale Lube & Auto Care 8485 Prunedale Rd. North (831) 663-9400 |
Salinas: "ABOP" station at Sun Street Transfer Station 139 Sun St. (831) 424-5535 Dick Adams Automotive 242 Griffin Street (831) 758-8277 |
Household Batteries
Household batteries - the kind used in flashlights, toys, electronics etc - contain small, but very potent amounts of heavy metals and corrosive chemicals. These toxic substances can contaminate our soil and water if they end up in the landfill. It has been illegal to put household batteries into the garbage since 2006.
Please buy hand-operated items whenever possible and use rechargeable instead of single-use batteries. Rechargeables have a much longer life span: up to 800 charge-discharge cycles before they have to be replaced.
Please drop off your used household batteries at the following locations:
Greenfield:
Gonzales:
King City:
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Prunedale:
Salinas:
Soledad:
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Additional drop-off locations for rechargeable batteries ONLY:
Rechargeable batteries can be dropped off for recycling at any store that also sells them, e.g. Radio Shack, Best Buy, Lowe's, Office Depot and Staples Office Supply. To find a participating retailer in your zip code call the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation at 678-419-9990 or visit www.rbrc.org.
Tip: Get a free battery bucket from the SVSWA or use an empty jar to collect spent household batteries at home or at work.
Car batteries, also referred to as a lead-acid battery, contain about 21 pounds of lead, three pounds of plastic and one gallon of sulfuric acid each! These materials pose a hazard to people's health and the environment if they're not handled properly.
Please recycle your car battery at one of the following locations, so that the materials can be reclaimed and made into new batteries.
| Castroville: Pettigrew & Foletta Auto parts 10865 Merritt St (831) 633-2431 Gonzales: "ABOP" station at Johnson Canyon Landfill 31400 Johnson Canyon Road (831) 675-2165 Auto Zone 851 R 5th St. (831) 675-8444 King City: "ABOP" station at Jolon Road Transfer Station 52654 Jolon Road (831) 385-6213 Auto Zone 510 Canal Street (831) 385-0773 Kragen Auto Parts 815 Broadway (831) 385-8430 Prundedale: Auto Zone 17643 Vierra Canyon Rd. (831) 663-6820 Prunedale Lube Auto Care 8485 Prunedale Rd. North (831) 663-9400 Soledad: Kragen Auto Parts (5 gal max) 2233 H De La Rosa Sr St. (831) 678-3008 |
Salinas: Sun Street HHW Collection Facility 139 Sun St. (831) 424-5535 Auto Zone 1541 N. Sanborn Rd. (831) 772-0937 Auto Zone 1011 East Alisal (831) 757-1904 Auto Zone 1488 North Main Street (831) 444-0701 Bridgestone Firestone Store 150 Northridge Shopping Ctr. (831) 449-4434 Kragen Auto Parts 989 North Main Stree (831) 753-0829 Kragen Auto Parts 43A South Sanborn Road (831) 758-4626 Kragen Auto Parts 1219 South Main Sreet (831) 422-9074 Kragen Auto Parts 610 Williams Road (831) 757-4288 Lopez Auto Repair 102 West Market Street (831) 758-1993 |
Fluorescent tubes and bulbs are safe while in use but are considered hazardous waste when discarded. The reason is that they contain toxic mercury vapor and other heavy metals such as cadmium and lead. When fluorescent tubes and bulbs are broken or crushed in the landfill, heavy metals are released. They can contaminate soil and water, and harm wildlife.
Please drop off your spent fluorescent tubes and bulbs at the following locations for recycling.
Tip: Bundle and tape tubes together to avoid breakage.
| Salinas: HHW Collection Facility 139 Sun Street, Salinas (831) 424-5520 Home Depot 1890 N Davis Rd, Salinas (831) 444-9814 Orchard Supply Hardware 1067 N. David Rd., Salinas (831) 422-9652 |
Pick-up service for businesses and facilities: Recyclights (800) 884-8982 Recyclights provides special recycling containers for fluorescent tubes and bulbs, then picks them up on-call. Contact them for details and fees. |
Electronics include computers and monitors, computer equipment, televisions, printers, VCRs, cell phones, telephones, radios, digital watches, gameboys, joysticks, game accessories and microwave ovens.
Although these products are safe while in use, they are considered hazardous waste when discarded due to their content of heavy metals and other toxic chemicals. It has been illegal to put "e-waste" into the garbage since 2006.
Your options to recycle unwanted electronics:
- Occasional "e-waste" collection drives held throughout the community. Watch for announcements in the local media and on our home page.
- Electronics may be accepted through your hauler's bulky item collection. Contact your hauler directly for details.
- Drop off "e-waste" at any of the following locations:
Salinas:
Sun Street Transfer Station
139 Sun Street
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 424-5535Gonzales:
Johnson Canyon Landfill
31400 Johnson Canyon Road
(831) 675-2165King City:
Jolon Road Transfer Station
52654 Jolon Rd.
King City, CA 93930
(831) 385-6213
Many older thermometers, thermostats, electrical switches, and gauges such as barometers and manometers contain mercury. To see if your thermostat contains mercury, carefully remove the front cover of the thermostat to look for a small ampoule containing a silver liquid. If you see this, you have a mercury thermostat.
Mercury is a heavy metal and extremely toxic. Just one gram - the amount in an old-fashioned mercury thermometer - can contaminate a 20-acre lake! Mercury can be absorbed by fish and other organisms and harm humans who eat the fish, causing long-term health problems such as damage to the kidneys and nervous system.
Tip: Double-bag mercury-containing items before you drop them off.
Salinas:
HHW Collection Facility |
Less Toxic Alternatives
Next time you consider buying or using a product with potentially harmful ingredients, take a moment to read the label and ask yourself:
“Do I really need to use this product? Is there a safer way I can do this?”
There may be less toxic alternatives that can help you do the job at hand just as well! Often you’ll also be able to save money.
Here are a few tips:
- Choose water-based latex paint instead of oil-based paint. You can even pick up free, recycled paint at our Household Hazardous Waste facility.
- Learn about less-toxic landscaping and pest control. If you have to use pesticides, buy the least toxic product and apply only where needed.
- Replace mercury-containing items with non-mercury containing alternatives, such as digital thermometers and mercury-free thermostats.
- Buy less-toxic all-purpose cleaners instead of specialty cleaners. Or try non-toxic alternatives: Create your own Non-Toxic Cleaning Recipes.
- Try refillable spray bottles instead of aerosol sprays.