Household Hazardous Materials

HHMD Cover Page 2022

Some leftover household products, such as paints, petroleum-based items, poisons, cleaners, and batteries, can contain hazardous ingredients and require special care when you dispose of them as they can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances. Improper disposal of such items can include pouring them down toilets or sinks, on the ground, into storm drains, or in some cases, putting them out with the regular trash. These improper disposal methods cause environmental hazards by contaminating surface and groundwater and can pose a threat to human health. 

Household Hazardous Material Disposal Options

Keep West Baton Rouge Beautiful holds annual collection days in the fall. For more information, please contact Keep West Baton Rouge Beautiful at (225) 490-8549. Contact Us

Electronic/Computer Recycling

The CACRC is a nonprofit organization committed to both e-scrap reduction by decreasing the stream to landfills and to providing refurbished computers and equipment to schools, nonprofits, and low-income families. The CACRC has received RIOS and R2 International Recycling Certification. They are the only non-profit R2 (Responsible Recycling) certified recycler in Louisiana. The R2 Standard requires protection of confidential and personally identifiable information on electronic devices, and adherence to the top industry standards for data sanitization. All hard drives are wiped to NIST standards or crushed with their secure/compliant hard drive “Data Destroyer” or their AMS 150 Hard Drive Shredder which satisfies the most stringent government and industry standards.

CACRC (Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council)

Phone:  (225) 379-3577
email: recycle@cacrc.com       

Batteries  

What batteries do you recycle?  Drop them off or bring to our annual HHMD.

Interstate Batteries
11131 Airline HWY Building 2
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
(225) 295-3711

Accepted Batteries

  • Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd)
  • Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH)
  • Nickel Zinc (Ni-Zn)
  • Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
  • Small Sealed Lead Acid (SSLA/Pb)
  • Single-Use batteries, including alkaline and lithium primary

Paint Pointers

You can put empty or dried-out latex paint cans in the trash.  For cans, less than 1/2 full of paint, open lid, mix with an absorbent (kitty litter), and let the paint dry. Save cans more than 1/2 full for the Annual Household Waste Collection Day. View more information on the Safe Disposal of Paint (PDF). 

Habitat ReStore will accept full or partially full cans of Latex Paint or Stain, and full cans of oil paint year-round.

HABITAT RESTORE LOCATIONS:

ReStore Northeast
4301 Airline Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70805
Phone Number: 225-355-1895

ReStore Southeast                                            
10300 Perkins Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Phone Number: 225-408-0021

Propane Gas Cylinders

Liquefied petroleum gas cylinders such as propane tanks that hold between 4 and 40 pounds (approximately 1 gallon to 10 gallons) can be recycled by taking them to area propane dealers. Small, empty cylinders holding less than 4 pounds can be placed in your regular garbage can with other household trash. A list of dealers who sell and service refillable containers can be found on the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission. Do a search for the class VI permit holders in Baton Rouge. For more information on disposal call 225-925-4895.

Reducing HHW in Your Home

Consider reducing your purchase of products that contain hazardous ingredients. Learn about the use of alternative methods or products — without hazardous ingredients — for some common household needs. When shopping for items such as multipurpose household cleaners, toilet cleaners, laundry detergent, dish soap, dishwashing machine pods, and gels, bug sprays and insect pest control, consider shopping for environmentally friendly, natural products or search online for simple recipes you can use to create your own.

Additional information is available from EPA’s Safer Choice program.

SAFE MANAGEMENT OF HHM

To avoid the potential risks associated with household hazardous wastes, it is important to always monitor the use, storage, and disposal of products with potentially hazardous substances in their homes. 

Some quick tips for the safe handling of household hazardous wastes include:

  • Follow any instructions for use and storage provided on product labels carefully to prevent any accidents at home.
  • Be sure to read product labels for disposal directions to reduce the risk of products exploding, igniting, leaking, mixing with other chemicals, or posing other hazards on the way to a disposal facility.
  • Never store hazardous products in food containers; keep them in their original containers and never remove labels. Corroding containers, however, require special handling. Call your local hazardous materials official or fire department for instructions.
  • When leftovers remain, never mix HHM with other products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode, and contaminated HHM might become unrecyclable.
  • Remember, even empty containers of HHM can pose hazards because of the residual chemicals that might remain so handle them with care also.