Garbage & Recycling

Household Hazardous Waste

Most homes are filled with a variety of hazardous waste! Many commonly used products such as cleaners, glues, soaps, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals are toxic or hazardous. It is important to our health and environment that they are disposed of properly and carefully. Oftentimes, these products are illegally dumped into our storm drains which can effect Modesto's drinking water. Please, be sure to dispose of your chemicals properly.

Another form of hazardous waste is e-waste. The "e" stands for electronics and includes computers, TVs, radios, VCRs, DVD players, microwave ovens, cell phones, fax machines, printers, copy machines and more. NONE of these items can go into the trash, they MUST be recycled.

Modesto residents can dispose of many different household hazardous waste and e-waste products at the City-County Household Hazardous Waste Facility for FREE! The facility is located at 1716 Morgan Road, (209) 525-6789. Hours of operation are Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m., except major holiday weekends.  Call for more details.

For more information, you can also visit the Stanislaus County Household Hazardous Waste Program site. 

For more information about hazardous waste programs or related issues click on Earth's 911!

Download the complete Recycling Guide and learn about all of Modesto's garbage and recycling programs in one stop!

Proper Disposal Methods

Household hazardous waste is toxic or otherwise dangerous waste that may not be put in your regular garbage can. It must be handled very carefully. However, most empty containers such as paint cans with dried paint, empty aerosol cans, or cleansers, may be tossed into your regular garbage cans. E-waste is electronic waste that cannot be thrown into the garbage. The following chart lists many of the common products that are accepted at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.

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