What is HHW?#

HHW is any substance containing ingredients that could negatively affect your safety, health (or that of a pet/animal) or the environment when disposed of incorrectly.

HHWs are found in everyday products and can be poisonous, corrosive, flammable, explosive or reactive. Signal words on packaging may include poison, toxic, danger, warning and/or caution.

Handle With Care#

The risk of fire, explosion and spills exists when transporting HHW. Please prepare items safely for transport, following these rules:

• store items upright in boxes or tubs, not loose bags
• keep similar items together (do not stack)
• seal containers tightly and ensure they are not leaking
• separate acids and oxidizers 
• keep items away from children and pets

Year-Round HHW Disposal Opportunities#

Did you know about 50% of the items collected at our HHW events can be disposed of at the City's Timberline Recycling Center (TRC) Hard-to-Recycle Yard? The TRC accepts antifreeze, household batteries, motor/cooking oil and paint, free of charge year-round. Please note, lithium-ion batteries are not accepted.

Visit fcgov.com/AtoZ for local disposal options for non-accepted items and other non-HHW household items.

Also, Larimer County’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility accepts most HHWs year-round.

Prescription Drug Take-Back Programs Help Protect Our Community and Waterways#

Do NOT flush your old or leftover prescription drugs or other pharmaceuticals/medications down the drain. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove these chemicals and compounds, and they can pass through to local waterways and have harmful effects on animals, humans and the environment.

Safe disposal practices for unused prescription and over-the-counter medications are important to keep pharmaceuticals out of water bodies. 

Fort Collins Police Services offers a free and anonymous Daily Prescription Drug Take-Back Program. Items not accepted include intravenous solutions, injectables, syringes, mercury (thermometers), oxygen containers, chemotherapy/radioactive substances, pressurized canisters and illicit drugs. Learn more.