Household hazardous waste

Hennepin County Drop-off Facilities accept household hazardous wastes

Learn more about the county's drop-off facilities in Brooklyn Park and Bloomington.

Safely transporting household hazardous waste

Household hazardous wastes should be secured to ensure they don’t leak or spill during transport. For your safety and the safety of our employees, please take the following steps when transporting your household hazardous waste:

  • Products should be in containers that are covered or sealed and that won’t leak or spill.
  • Products must be in containers of 5 gallons or less in size.
  • Keep products in their original containers with the original labels if possible. If the original labels are missing or unreadable, label the container with the contents.
  • Place items in a plastic box or plastic-lined box in an upright position. Secure them so they won’t tip over during transport.

What is household hazardous waste?

Some products we have in our homes contain hazardous materials that can harm our health or the environment if not disposed of safely. This includes unwanted chemical products that are flammable, toxic or dangerous when combined with other products.

Read the label: Look for the words caution, warning, danger, poison, flammable, reactive, corrosive or toxic on the label of products that require special disposal.

Household hazardous wastes include:

  • Automotive fluids: Antifreeze, carburetor cleaner, brake and transmission fluid, degreasers, fuels and oil
  • Household, lawn and garden products: Cleaning products, drain cleaner, oven cleaner, paints, stains and thinners, pesticides and herbicides
  • Personal care products: Hair spray, nail polish remover, perfume

Products to never mix together

The following products can create toxic vapors and substances when mixed together that are dangerous to your health or even deadly.

  • Bleach and vinegar or other acids like lemon juice and acid-based toilet bowl cleaners: These create toxic chlorine gas that can cause coughing, irritate your eyes, nose, and throat, give you a chemical burn, and be deadly at high enough concentrations.
  • Bleach and ammonia: These create toxic chloramine vapor that quickly causes eye, nose, and throat irritation and can be deadly at high enough concentrations.
  • Bleach and rubbing alcohol: These create toxic chloroform that can cause you to pass out and can be deadly.
  • Vinegar and peroxide: These create peracetic acid that is corrosive, can irritate your eyes, and may give you a chemical burn.

Safe storage tips

  • Keep product out of reach of children and animals.
  • Store all hazardous products on high shelves or in locked cabinets away from food.
  • Store products that say “prevent freezing” (such as latex paint) indoors.
  • Never mix chemicals together (such as bleach and ammonia).
  • Keep products away from heat, sparks, flames or other sources of ignition.
  • Only buy the amount of product that you will use.
  • Keep products in their original containers and make sure the label is legible.
  • For long-term storage, place waterproof transparent tape over product labels to prevent them from falling off.