Household Hazardous Waste Collection
                                           May 7, 2011
                   Williamson County Administrative Complex
                        1320 West Main Street, Franklin 37064
                                       8:30 AM - 2:00 PM



When you look in your garage, under your sink, in the basement or shed, do you see lots of unwanted pesticides, containers of dirty paint thinner, and other unusable household chemicals? If you answered “Yes,” you have hazardous waste in your home  and may be ready for a household hazardous was (HHW) collection. For a listing of items accepted at the household hazardous waste collection site at 1320 West Main Street site click here

Any Tennessee citizen can participate in the Mobile Household Hazardous Waste Collection Service. The process is very simple. Check the collection schedule to determine a convenient event for you.

Safe Transportation of HHW to the Event. When transporting materials to the site, place containers in sturdy boxes lined with newspaper to prevent spills and cross-contamination in the trunk of a car or back of a truck. Be sure to keep materials away from children and pets. For safety, don't mix materials, keep them in their original containers, double package any leaking containers, and place any breakable containers in a box, cushioned with newspaper. When you get to the event you will be surveyed to find out what county you live in and where you learned about the event.

Only households may use the service to dispose of hazardous wastes. No commercial, institutional, or agri-business waste will be accepted. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture runs an Agricultural Pesticide Waste Collection Program that will accept pesticides from farmers. Additionally, NO explosive, ordnance, ammunition, radioactive, or medical waste will be accepted.

Just what is household hazardous waste?
Many of the products we use in our home and routinely discard with our trash are actually similar to regulated hazardous wastes produced by business and industry. Products which are corrosive (such as acids and alkalis), flammable, reactive, or toxic (poisonous) are found in most people’s home, garage or workshop.

What types of products might have hazardous characteristics?

• Examples of flammable products include many solvent-based materials such as varnish strippers,  and driveway sealants. Some products will even spontaneously combust if improperly stored.
• Household items that may be corrosive include acidic or caustic cleaners such as toilet bowl cleaner, oven cleaner, and drain opener as well as batteries, especially car batteries.
• Reactive type chemicals can include strong peroxides, ammonia, chlorine based products, and mothballs.
• Toxic materials include antifreeze, pesticides, and wind shield washer fluid.

For a listing of items accepted at the 1320 West Main Street collection click here

Why are Batteries, Oil, Paint, Anti-freeze and Electronics not being accepted at the 1320 West Main St. HHW collection site?
The items accepted during the year round BOPAE COLLECTION at the City of Franklin Solid Waste Department
WILL NOT be accepted at the Williamson County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day at 1320 West Main Street. The City of Franklin Solid Waste Department is located at 417 Century Court, Franklin 37064, 2 stop lights north of Mack Hatcher Parkway on Columbia Hwy, 6:30 AM – 2 PM Monday – Friday

This event is sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Williamson County Solid Waste Department. The event is for residential waste only. No commercial items accepted.

Click here for a listing of ACCEPTABLE ITEMS

Unwanted or Outdated 

HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS: oven, tub, toilet, etc cleaners

HOME IMPROVEMENT PRODUCTS: thinners, strippers, adhesives

LAWN AND GARDEN PRODUCTS: gasoline, transmission and break fluid

INSECT REPELLANT, MOUSE POISON, POOL CHEMICALS, AND FLUORESCENT BULBS

Tennessee residents may attend any county's mobile household hazardous waste collection provided by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Collection Schedule

Click Here if you would like to be added to our environmental e-news which includes reminders about our Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection and other environmental events.

Most people think of "hazardous wastes" as wastes generated by industry, but many household products contain the same chemicals found in industrial hazardous wastes. Improper disposal of household hazardous wastes, such as throwing them away with your household trash, dumping them in storm drains, or into sewer or septic systems, can endanger your health, the health of others and the environment.

Small amounts of latex paint may be dried out at home by putting kitty litter in the can to absorb the paint. Leave the top off to allow the paint to dry out then dispose of the can (with the top removed) with your regular household garbage. You may also take your paint to the Batteries, Oil, Paint, Anti-freeze and Electronics program at the City of Frankin Solid Waste Dept. (417 Century Court) or Williamson County Landfill Convenience Center( 5750 Pinewood Road) year round during regular business hours for proper disposal.

TVs, Computers, Monitors, and computer components (most office equipment) and microwaves recycling are part of year round recycling program in Williamson County. These are accepted in the BOPAE Collection Batteries, Oil, Paint, Anti-freeze and Electronics program at the City of Frankin Solid Waste Dept. (417 Century Court) in Franklin 37064. For more information about electronic recycling, please contact the office of Williamson Recycles at 794-1516

Many products used in the home, garden, garage and hobby shop contain hazardous ingredients and need to be used and stored safely. Once you decide to discard these products, they become household hazardous wastes requiring proper disposal. Household hazard wastes can be described as discarded solid or liquid materials or containers holding gases which may cause an adverse, harmful or damaging biological effect in an organism or the environment unless given special handling and treatment.

Hazardous wastes usually account for a small portion of the waste stream, but can contaminate our water and soil if disposed of improperly. That's why hazardous waste should not be disposed of with regular garbage or poured into the sewers.

A substance is considered hazardous if it can catch fire, if it can react or explode when mixed with other substances, if it is corrosive, or if it is toxic. This definition includes many things that you probably are storing right now in your garage, basement, bathroom, or kitchen. Some, like paint thinner or car batteries, are pretty obvious, but there are many that you might not ordinarily think of such as polishes, insecticides and glues.

Household hazardous wastes generally fall into six classes:

All hazardous products exhibit at least one of the following properties:

 

Flammable: Usually liquids that easily ignite and burn (e.g. lighter fluid, spot and paint removers).
 

Corrosive substances or vapors: Can burn skin on contact and can eat away the surface of other materials (e.g. oven and toilet bowl cleaners).

Reactive: React with air, water or another substance to produce toxic vapors or explode (e.g. bleach when mixed with ammonia-based cleaners).

Toxic: Even in small quantities may immediately poison, or cause injury or death through repeated exposure, when inhaled into the lungs, eaten, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin (e.g. rat poison, pesticides, bleach).

Check the label. Look for the following warning words:

CAUTION- the product is mildly toxic (1 oz. to 1 pt. is the fatal dose) or a possible skin irritant.
WARNING- the product is moderately toxic (1 tsp. to 1 tbs. is the fatal dose) or can cause skin injury with prolonged contact with skin or has a moderate chance of catching fire or reacting with another chemical.
DANGER- the product is highly flammable, explosive, and/or reactive or is capable of causing injury on contact with eyes or skin.
POISON- the product is extremely toxic (a taste to 1 tsp. is the fatal dose).

 Poison, toxic, corrosive, volatile, flammable, inflammable, combustible, explosive, danger, caution, warning, or harmful. These words will alert you to the nature of the product. Keep in mind that some HHW, such as prescription medicines, don't have the warning symbols of HHW but are still considered hazardous. Caution and careful reading of labels are required to determine if products are HHW or not.

 
When handled, stored, and used correctly, HHW doesn't pose too many environmental problems.

• Use a product only for its intended purpose.

  Keep products in their original containers.

  Keep all pertinent information regarding use, storage, and disposal.

  Follow all safety precautions.

  Keep container tightly sealed and in a secure location.

  Never mix products

  Buy only what you need

  Buy a non-hazardous or the least hazardous product for the job, i.e., choose a product with a "caution" label over one with a "warning" label.

  Buy multi-use products instead of highly specialized items that might go unused for months.

  Buy pesticides and similar items that have a localized application, e.g. roach bait discs instead of fumigants