HAZARDOUS WASTE
Next Household Hazardous Waste Clean-up is June 14, 2025 from 10am-2pm. Sign up for our newsletter for alerts!
We will take most Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) materials at no charge. We WILL be accepting liquid fuels during this event.
*Paints and stains may be brought in to ORS for FREE any other day of the year. Learn more HERE.
Round-ups are County/ORS funded events for HOUSEHOLDS only. If you are a business you must register in advance. Email info@exchangeorcas.org for more info.
Household hazardous waste is a small percentage of every islander’s total waste, yet its proper disposal makes the greatest immediate impact on our air, water, and soil quality. When you take a little extra time to identify and separate hazardous items, or use alternatives, you make big strides toward our goal of a zero waste community.
What do we accept?
Click 
below for detailed info on what we accept at HHW events.
- Bleach
- Carpet cleaner
- Disinfectants
- Drain openers (alternatives)
- Floor wax
- Oven cleaner
- Polishes
- Toilet and tub cleaners
- Water softeners
- Window cleaners
- Thermometers
- Auto and boat repair products
- Degreaser
- Rust remover
- Glues
- Paint thinner
- Wood preservatives
- Fertilizers (alternatives)
- Insecticides
- Pesticides
- Slug and snail bait (alternatives)
- Weed and moss killer
What is Hazardous Waste?
Products are hazardous in different ways, based on their specific danger. A product like pesticide is “toxic” because it causes illness. “Flammable” means the product burns easily (ie. paint thinner). Waste that is “corrosive,” like oven cleaner, eats through other materials. A hazardous item like fireworks might also be “reactive,” because it causes a dangerous reaction when exposed to heat, air, or water.
When in doubt, look for labels that emphasize these words: combustible, warning, caution, danger, harmful is swallowed, and keep out of reach of children and pets.
What to do with it?
We only accept hazardous materials from businesses during our annual summer pick-up event. Similarly, we only accept gasoline & diesel at the summer event. Also, we NEVER accept latex paint during round-ups; but now have a recycling program for latex, you can read about it here.
Break the Habit
Did you know you can remove rust with sour milk? Or adding one cup of vinegar and ¼ cup of baking soda to the final rinse of your laundry is a fabric softener? Stop buying household products containing hazardous materials. Commit to finding alternatives instead. If it is too intimidating to imagine revamping your entire house in one audit, try one room per month until your entire house is hazmat-free within the year. It is the best thing you can do for the environment on Orcas Island.
Do you have your own non-toxic secret recipe? Share it on our Facebook page.