Household hazardous waste
Many home and garden products are considered household hazardous waste (HHW). They may have labels that include the words caution, toxic, corrosive, pesticide, combustible, poison, flammable, warning or danger. These products can be harmful to human health and the environment if used, stored or disposed of improperly.
Never pour these products down the drain or onto the ground. And don't put them in your garbage cart or recycling bin.
What to do with hazardous waste
Take it to a drop-off facility or collection event. Hennepin County a drop-off facility located in Bloomington and also hosts household hazardous waste collection events throughout the year. Visit Hennepin County's drop-off facilities page to find event dates and locations.
Find recycling and disposal options in the Green Disposal Guide. Hennepin County's guide provides information on the best way to recycle, reuse or dispose of items from your home, including appliances, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, paint and electronics.
Businesses, visit Hennepin County's managing and disposing of hazardous waste page to find a list of firms that provide hazardous waste disposal services in the Twin Cities for businesses and multi-family properties.
Batteries
The following locations accept all types of used household batteries (residential only):
Electronics
View the Green Disposal Guide for recycling options. You may also schedule an electronic item pickup from your garbage and recycling hauler by calling Utility Billing at 952-563-8726 at 763.783.5423 for curbside pick-up of electronics for recycling.
Items with an automatic shut-off feature such as toasters, coffee pots, curling irons, and tea pots do not contain a mercury switch and may be placed in the garbage. Other small electric items such as fans, hairdryers, and heating pads are not considered a consumer electronic and may be placed in the trash.
Fluorescent light bulbs
- Check with local retailers. Some local retailers and hardware stores offer recycling of unbroken CFLs.
- Bring them to a Hennepin County drop-off facility. Hennepin County accepts all types of fluorescent, high intensity discharge, neon bulbs and ballasts free of charge at the county drop-off facilities. There is a limit of 25 bulbs per household per year.
Medications
- HealthPartners pharmacy locations, accept unused medicines. They do not accept controlled substances, such as Adderall, Ambien, Codeine, Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Percocet, Ritalin, Valium, Vicodin and Xanax.
- Hennepin County medicine drop box locations accept prescription medicines, including controlled substances, over-the-counter medicines, pet medicines and vitamins/minerals.
- CVS store locations, including the Bloomington location at 8936 Lyndale Ave S, accepts prescription medicines, including controlled substances, over-the-counter medicines, pet medicines and vitamins/minerals.
- Walgreens store locations, including the Bloomington location at 9800 Lyndale Ave S, accepts prescription medicines, including controlled substances, over-the-counter medicines, pet medicines and vitamins/minerals.
Needles/sharps
Sharps such as needles, lancets, syringes and used epi-pens must be disposed of safely to prevent injury and disease transmission to garbage haulers and processing facility workers. Never place loose needles in the trash and do not recycle them.
