Household Hazardous Waste Disposal

Household hazardous waste disposal is available for Santa Clara residents through the Santa Clara County Household Hazardous Waste Program. Hazardous waste such as prescription medications, fluorescent light bulbs and tubes, paint, automotive fluids, cleaners, solvents, batteries, propane, fertilizers, pesticides, wood preservatives, and other types of household hazardous wastes can be safely and easily disposed of at any of the many drop-off events held throughout the year.

Residents must register to attend any drop-off events by calling the County Household Hazardous Waste Program at 408-299-7300.

For information about Household Hazardous Waste Disposal, go to Garbage and Clean Green.

For more information about batteries, see the Household Battery Recycling.
To find out when the next Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off date is for Santa Clara residents, go to Refuse and Recycling Dates to Remember.

Call the Police Department at 408-615-4700 regarding disposal of ammunition or explosives.

E-waste 

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has banned electronic waste from going into the landfill and requires that it be recycled.  This classification of materials is referred to as e-waste and is generally considered to be items that require a battery or electrical cord to operate, such as televisions, computers, cell phones, telephones, CD and DVD players, radios, electronic tablets, stereo equipment, VCR's, fax machines, printers, handheld video games, etc.  E-waste can be recycled in several different ways.

San Jose State University's Center for the Development of Recycling (CDR) maintains a database of businesses that recycle specific items.  To recycle e-waste, go to www.recyclestuff.org and follow the instructions to select the specific electronic device that you wish to recycle.  The search will produce a list of businesses in your area that accept the itme you are trying to recycle as well as their contact information.

The County-Wide Household Hazardous Waste Program (CoHHWP) accepts e-waste at their drop-off events.  For more information or to register for an upcoming drop-off event in Santa Clara, call 408-299-7300 or go to www.hhw.org. This website also provides a link to a list of businesses located in the City of Santa Clara that recycle e-waste all year.

The City's residential recycling contractor, Recology, holds two Environmental Day events each year.  E-wast is accepted at these drop-off events at Recology's offices, located at 650 Martin Avenue in Santa Clara.  Check Refuse & Recycling Dates to Remember for the next scheduled Environmental Day.  For more information, call Recology at 408-970-5100 or visit their website.

From time to time, residents will find flyers left at their homes advertising free pick-up of e-waste by companies or individuals.  Please be aware that the City of Santa Clara does not collect e-waste, except during the annual Clean-Up Campaign.  Companies or individuals collecting e-waste the remainder of the year are not sanctioned by the City of Santa Clara.

If you have any other questions, call the Street Department at 408-615-3080.

Fluorescent Bulb Recycling 
Fluorescent bulbs (compact fluorescent lightbulbs or CFL's) and fluorescent tubes cannot be placed in your garbage for disposal. CFC's and fluorescent tubes are banned from going into landfills because they contain a significant amount of mercury. Here are ways that you can properly recycle your fluorescent tubes and CFL's: 

• Go to http://www.hhw.org and click on the "Fluorescent Bulb Drop-Off Locations" site for a list of local retailers that will accept fluorescent tubes and/or CFL's for free during open business hours.
  
• Call (408) 299-7300 to make an appointment to attend a Santa Clara County Household Drop-Off event to recycle fluorescent tubes and CFL's, as well as other household hazardous waste.
• Single-family homes may recycle CFL's only (no tubes) through the residential curbside recycling program. Simply place the CFL's in a ziploc-style plastic bag and set on the ground next to the blue recycling cart on your regular solid waste collection day.