Household Hazardous Waste

 FREE Home Pick-Up of Household Hazardous for Westminster Residents!

 How Does It Work? printer-friendly version of this information. 

1.) Call the HHW Hotline to Request a Collection:
When you call our Household Hazardous Waste Hotline, 303-706-3362, we ask for your contact information and the type and amount of material you have for collection. Only one collection per year is allowed for each household. 

2.) City of Westminster Staff will Contact You:
Westminster staff will contact you to verify waste amounts or other disposal options and, if needed, schedule a pick-up date with you.  Please note, City Hall offices will be open for extended hours Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.  All offices will be closed on Fridays.  Staff will respond to you from the Hotline on the next business day after you have left your message.

3) City of Westminster Staff will Set A Collection Date for you, and an HHW Bag is Shipped to You via U.S. Mail:
The bag can hold ten (10) 1 gallon cans of paint or two (2) 5 gallon pails plus several other smaller items based on the container size and care taken when packing.

4.) The HHW Material is Collected:
On the scheduled date, Curbside, Inc. will collect the eligible HHW directly from your home. Questions or Comments? Contact Us

5.) How to Prepare for Your Home Household Hazardous Waste Pick-up:

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

• Never Mix materials/products when preparing them for pick-up. 
• Keep your materials/products in their original containers whenever possible.
• Always seal containers to prevent leaks (do not use tape to seal containers).
• Label any items that are not already clearly labeled.

 Packaging the Bag

1. Place the bag on the ground near your entrance door.
2. Check each container, use the labels provided in the envelope or clearly marked. UNKNOWN MATERIALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
   If a container is leaking, repackage it and wipe off messy containers.
3. Fill the bag with the containers and tie it securely at the top.
4. Place any excess material next to the bag.  *Note: Fees may apply see EXCESS MATERIAL FEES list below*

Day of Pick-up

1. If you have forgotten your pick-up date, call 303-658-2183 to confirm with City staff.
2. Place the secured bag outside of your front door, garage door, or other area near the front of your house--do not place at the curb. DO NOT carry the bag with the waste inside; move items to the bag instead.
3. Make sure to have your bag outside for pick-up prior to 7:00 a.m. on the scheduled day for your collection.

 ACCEPTABLE HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE MATERIALS:

• Adhesives - household/hobby/automotive: glue, caulking, sealer, etc.
• Aerosols - that contain flammable or hazardous materials
• Art/Hobby Supplies - adhesives, paint, cleaners, correction fluid, photography chemicals (developer, fixer, wash, cleaner)
• Automotive Products - cleaner, lubricant, solvent, fuel, gasoline, injector spray, brake spray, brake fluid, carburetor cleaner, metal conditioner, paint, paint remover, engine degreaser, fuel additives, etc.
• Batteries - household
• Cleaners/Waxes - household, automotive, polishes, degreasers, rug/upholstery cleaners, etc.
• E-waste* - consisting of one (1) TV (any size) OR one (1) home computer system consisting of a CPU, monitor, keyboard, printer, and mouse.
• Flammables - automotive/household solvents, fuels, paint, lubricants, etc. - gasoline, kerosene, charcoal lighter, lighter fluid, mineral spirits.
• Lubricants - compressor oil, household lubricants, cutting oil.
• Paint - hobby/automotive/household: aerosol, oil-based paint products including thinner, lacquer, linseed oil, primer, stain and varnish. 
• Peanut Oil - $5 flat fee
• Propane bottles - $10 fee for 20 pound bottles.  No charge for small, camping size bottles
• Smoke Detectors - $5 fee
• Other Household - fluorescent tubes, thermostats, thermometers, and other devices which contain Mercury. (non-radioactive)

We will collect all materials that fit into our HHW Bag. The bag holds approximately 75 pounds. All liquid waste must be in containers of 5-gallons or smaller. See below for items that can be placed outside the bag for collection.

EXCESS MATERIAL FEES:

• Anti-freeze: 7 gallons - $1.75 will be charged to the resident for every gallon of anti-freeze exceeding the 7 gallon limit.
• Automotive Batteries: 5 batteries - $1.00 will be charged to the resident for every battery over the 5 battery limit.
• Automotive Oil: 7 gallons - $0.50 will be charged to the resident for every gallon of oil exceeding the 7 gallon limit.
• *E-waste will only be collected from residents in conjunction with other approved HHW 
• Latex Paint: 5 gallons - $4.00 will be charged to the resident for every gallon of paint exceeding the 5 gallon limit.
• Oil Based Paint: 5 gallons - $7.00 will be charged to the resident for every gallon of paint exceeding the 5 gallon limit.
• Oil Filters: 5 used filters - $1.00 will be charged to the resident for every filter exceeding the 5 filter limit.

   UNACCEPTABLE MATERIALS:

Ammunition, explosives; biological waste, syringes, infectious waste; oxygen or welding gas cylinders; isocyanates; tires; paper/newspaper, glass plastic, metal, trash, solid waste for landfill; refrigerators, water heaters, stoves/ovens, air conditioners, etc.  Medications can be disposed through the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Medication Take Back Pilot Project and King Soopers.

What happens to the materials once they are collected from your home?

Latex paint is recycled at the Curbside HHW Denver facility and bulked into a sprayable product that is then shipped to an affiliate company who uses it as a "base material" (approx. 50% of their product) to make water-proof and damp proof concrete coatings for new home construction.

Flammables and oil based paints are also bulked and consolidated at the Curbside facility and then shipped to Kansas to be fuel blended into industrial fuels for incinerators and concrete kilns.

Many items that are new or in good, usable condition are placed into the reuse program at Curbside.  In 2009, 2,500 visitors reused over 90,000 pounds of usable products that had been collected.

Any items left that can not be reused or recycled are processed for disposal through incineration, neutralization or solidification then placed in an industrial landfill.