Did you know that not all your trash belongs in your bins for your communities trash collection day? By law, Household Hazardous Waste and Electronic Waste (HHW/E-Waste) must be disposed of at special collection centers located throughout the state.
Household Hazardous Waste is any leftover product labeled toxic, poison, corrosive, flammable, combustible, or irritant, that you want to discard. Examples of HHW are batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, unused household cleaners, unused paint, used automobile fluids etc.
Electronic Waste is discarded, surplus, obsolete or broken electrical or electronic devices. Informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries causes serious health and pollution problems. Some electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants. E-Waste refers to things such as computers, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, and other items such as television sets and refrigerators.
Improper Disposal
When thrown in with the regular trash, household hazardous waste can injure sanitation workers. In addition, the hazardous waste may end up in landfills not intended or permitted for those type of wastes which could in turn impact groundwater. When poured on the ground, household hazardous waste may seep into and contaminate our groundwater and/or the ocean we swim in. When flushed down a toilet, sink or drain, household hazardous waste goes through the sewage system to treatment plants not equipped to handle hazardous waste. At treatment plants, hazardous waste interferes with the biological treatment process by killing bacteria and contaminating the effluent that runs into the ocean and the biosolids which cannot then be reused as fertilizer. When hazardous waste is thrown on the street, it goes down storm drains leading into our area waterways, impacting the Pacific Ocean, our lakes, and our local beaches.
Permanent HHW/E-Waste Collection Centers
HHW/E-Waste can be properly disposed of on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 3pm at these permanent collection centers located throughout the city:
San Pedro: GAFFEY STREET 1400 N. Gaffey St, San Pedro 90731[MAP]
Los Angeles: LOS ANGELES-GLENDALE TREATMENT PLANT 4600 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles 90039 [MAP & INFO]
Playa del Rey: HYPERION TREATMENT PLANT 7660 West Imperial Highway, Gate B, Playa Del Rey 90293 [MAP & INFO]
Sun Valley: RANDALL STREET 11025 Randall St, Sun Valley 91352 [MAP]
Los Angeles: WASHINGTON BLVD 2649 E. Washington Blvd Los Angeles 90021.[MAP & INFO]
An addtional collection center is located at UCLA. Note the days and hours of operation:
West Los Angeles: UCLA 550 Charles E. Young Dr. West, Los Angeles 90025**
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays*, 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. [MAP & INFO]
* We will accept electronic waste on Saturday only.
** Note: All Waste Collection Services are suspended during rainy weather
Household Hazardous/Electronic Waste (HHW/E-Waste) Mobile Collection Events
You may also dispose of HHW/E-Waste properly at a FREE mobile collection event. There is one nearly every weekend throughout Los Angeles County. Below are up coming mobile collection events:
Irwindale – Saturday 4 June, 9am - 3pm
L.A. County Department of Public Works, Flood Control Maintenance Yard,
160 East Longden Ave, Irwindale 91706 [MAP]
Pomona – Saturday 11 June, 9am - 3pm
LA County Fair, Hotel & Exposition Complex, Gate 23,
Arrow Highway, Pomona 91769 [MAP]
Calabasas – Sunday 12 June, 9am - 3pm
Calabasas Landfill (Scale Area),
5300 Lost Hills Rd, Agoura 91301 [MAP]
Torrance – Saturday 18 June, 9am - 3pm
American Honda (Enter from Harper`s Way off of Van Ness),
1919 Torrance Blvd, Torrance 90501 [MAP]
Culver City – Saturday 25 June
National Guard Armory (Front Parking Lot),
10808 Culver Boulevard, Culver City 90230 [MAP]
content: Los Angeles County Department of Public Works & City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation • post: R. Nelson
