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Government of Alberta
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FAQ-Waste-Household Hazardous Waste

Where can I find information on hazardous household waste?

Since 1988, the Alberta Household Hazardous Wastes program has safely treated and disposed of over 14.5 million litre equivalents of household hazardous waste materials in the province. Generally speaking, hazardous wastes consist of solid or liquid materials, their containers, or containers holding gasses. They are either flammable, corrosive, explosive, or toxic. Because of these dangerous characteristics, they should not be disposed of in landfills or sewage systems. For more information about the Household Hazardous Waste Program including a schedule for round-up days or permanent collection facilities visit Alberta Recycling's website.

How do we identify hazardous waste?

None of us consciously generates hazardous waste. But take a look around your home. The countless items we use in our daily activities inevitably result in some form of waste. Many of these wastes are potentially damaging to our environment and to our health and safety. We all have a responsibility to ensure that these wastes are managed safely and effectively.

Products in the household that have potentially hazardous characteristics display at least one of the following warning symbols:

  • Flammable - These are wastes that burn easily like painting wastes, degreasers, and other solvents.
  • Corrosive - These wastes will eat away surfaces and skin. Familiar examples are waste acids, rust removers, alkaline cleaning fluids, and old battery acid.
  • Reactive/Explosive - These are wastes that react violently when mixed with other chemicals or that react under pressure or heat such as aerosols.
  • Toxic/Poison - These are substances that can poison or cause damage to living organisms.  Materials containing heavy metals like mercury, lead or cadmium are toxic. When a product displaying one or more of the warning symbols is discarded (after considering reuse possibilities), it should be disposed of properly. Ammunition, powder, primer, etc. should be delivered to a fire or police station or your local RCMP. Household hazardous waste sites will NOT accept explosives of this nature. Stale-dated or unwanted “dead” drugs should also not end up in the landfill. Many pharmacies will accept these for proper disposal.

What is the proper way to dispose of household chemicals (hazardous and non-hazardous waste)?

Household Hazardous Waste Round Ups are held in many communities throughout the year, where household hazardous waste is collected, sorted, packed and labelled by qualified personnel. The hazardous waste is then taken to Swan Hills Treatment Centre for safe treatment and disposal. Participate in your local Round-Up  to safely dispose of products you no longer need.

Find out when a Round Up is scheduled in your area by visiting Alberta Recycling's website or contacting Alberta's Recycling Hotline (1-888-463-6326). Keep all materials in their original containers. If the container is cracked or broken, place it in a leak-proof package and label it. Ensure that the material is stored safely in accordance with the product label while waiting to take it to a collection site. Many cities across Alberta, such as Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge, have permanent household hazardous waste drop-off facilities. The City of Calgary accepts household hazardous waste at specific local fire stations.

Can Household Hazardous Waste be recycled?

There are recycling options for some hazardous wastes, such as used oil, lead-acid batteries, Ni-Cd batteries, and propane tanks. Contact Alberta's Recycling Hotline (1-888-463-6326) for information.

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