Montgomery County offers several Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collection events each year. Each event is at a different location, but county residents may bring materials to any of the locations. Dates of 2011 events are available here.
HHW is defined as "household products containing toxic chemicals." These products usually have labels saying "Warning" or "Caution" and may also be identified as poisonous, toxic, flammable, corrosive, reactive, or explosive.
Montgomery County's HHW collection events will accept the following materials:
Please note that amounts are limited to 220 pounds per vehicle, in containers of no more than 5 gallons each. Materials are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
To safely transport HHW, follow these guidelines:
For more information, visit the Waste System Authority of Eastern Montgomery County's Home Hazardous Waste page or call the Recycling Hotline at 610-278-3618.
It is important to recycle computers and electronics because they contain materials that can become hazardous if not properly handled. Many of the materials used in electronics are valuable when recycled for use in new electronics.
If the electronics you want to discard are relatively new and in good condition, consider donating them for refurbishing. Visit www.electronicstakeback.com for more information from the Electronics TakeBack Coalition about the importance of recycling electronics. The EPA provides many resources about electronics recycling on its eCycling page, including a list of organizations that refurbish donated electronics, and a list of manufacturers and retailers that take back electronics for recycling.
Before donating or recycling a computer, it is important to remove all personal information. Visit Ten Tips for Donating a Computer for a list of disk-cleaning software as well as other suggestions for donating your computer. If you plan to recycle your computer, you should still clear your personal information first.
You can also take your computers, computer parts, and small televisions to Montgomery County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program events.