Household Hazardous Waste

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the annual Household Hazardous Waste Plus Collection Event on September 20 and 21, 2025. This year's event saw record attendance with 1,197 vehicles coming through over the two days. Residents that attended the event dropped off over 50 tonnes of materials including 37 skids of paint, 12 skids of flammable liquids, and thousands of litres of motor oil.

Many household hazardous waste items can be dropped off year-round for free at local recycling depots and retailers. As a reminder, Metro Vancouver’s Langley Recycling and Waste Centre (1070 – 272 Street) now accepts residential quantities of paint, pesticides, flammable liquids, motor oil and antifreeze. Learn more about year-round options.

Household hazardous waste is anything with a warning symbol on the label (such as flammable, corrosive, explosive, or poisonous), as well as anything unidentifiable.

Some of the most common examples include:

• Appliances containing refrigerant (fridges, freezers, etc.)
• Automotive wastes (motor oil, antifreeze, etc.)
• Batteries; aerosols and propane cylinders
• Cleaning agents and caustics
• Electronics (TVs, cell phones, mp3 players, etc.)
• Mercury-containing wastes (switches, fluorescent lighting, thermometers, etc.)
• Paint and solvents
• Radioactive waste

These types of items are not accepted in municipal waste or recycling collection and should never be dumped down drains and sewers, buried, thrown in the garbage, or dumped illegally. Additionally, do not leave these items in your home, garage, or yard, as they can leach into soil and water, or harm people and animals.

It is important to dispose of these items carefully, via participating depots or programs, or at the Household Hazardous Waste Plus Collection Event held in the fall.

Remember, when it comes to household hazardous waste materials, never:

• pour them down the drain or on the ground
• dump them into the storm sewer
• discard them in the garbage
• bury them

Municipal sewage systems and private septic systems cannot filter or remove these products from our wastewater, which would allow hazardous substances to enter waterways. Burying these items can lead to groundwater contamination.

If your product label contains one of the following warning symbols, or you suspect it to be hazardous, it must be disposed in a safe and responsible manner:

How to dispose of household hazardous waste

Residents are encouraged to visit local drop-off depots for hazardous waste items. Many items can be disposed of year-round and free-of-charge. Instead of waiting for the yearly collection event, check the following resources to find drop-off options most convenient to you:

• Contact the Recycling Council of BC through the Recyclepedia search, phone, text, chat, or email for local drop-off sites.
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs provide residents with free and convenient drop-off options for batteries, small appliances, tires, and more, all year long.
• Looking to dispose of motor oil, filters, antifreeze, or their containers? Visit interchangerecycling.com.