Dispose of household chemicals

Different recycling and disposal methods are needed for these toxic types of waste. Never put them in your household bins.

Free

Project Status: When you need to do this

Examples of toxic household chemicals that need to be disposed safely.

What you need to do

If you’re a building manager or have a lot of chemicals

Contact us to discuss quantities for drop-off.

Before you start

Work out what you can and can’t bring to a chemical drop-off event.

After you finish

Many chemicals are recycled while others are treated for safe disposal. For example:

  • Leftover paint is mixed with other solvents and used in cement manufacturing. The metal paint tins are recycled.
  • Any remaining gas is taken out of gas cylinders and the steel in the bottle is recycled. Many bottles are returned to the hire market – so they’re reused rather than recycled.
  • Lead, acid and plastic in batteries are recovered and recycled.
  • Fluoro tubes, which contain mercury, are crushed to separate the phosphor powder from the glass. This powder is processed to capture any mercury, which is then sold for a range of industrial uses. The leftover glass and metal are put back into the recycling system.