Household Hazardous Waste

Old, outdated medicines & pharmaceuticals
Oil-based paint
Paint thinners
Pesticides
Pool chemicals
Solvents
Used motor oil

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) consists of leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients that require special care when you dispose of them. Common household products can be highly toxic, flammable, explosive, or corrosive, the same as hazardous waste that is highly regulated from commercial and industrial processes.

U.S. EPA estimates are that households in the U.S. generate 1.6 million tons of HHW per year.

Improper disposal of HHW can affect air, land, and water quality. Improper disposal of unwanted pharmaceuticals and personal care products, often considered a subset of HHW, can pose health and environmental risks.

Illinois EPA One-Day HHW Collection Schedule 

The Illinois EPA coordinates one-day household hazardous waste collections each year in the spring and fall. Click here for the IEPA One-Day HHW Schedule.

In Champaign County, the next Illinois EPA One-Day HHW Collection is tentatively scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 9, 2025

Residents must register in advance to attend. Any Illinois resident can participate, but must register in advance. The online registration to attend this IEPA One-Day HHW Collection is expected to open mid-June, 2025.

Visit the online registration webpage for additional information.

Local and Regional Information Resources: HHW Collection

Champaign County Solid Waste Management 2022 Update, July 1, 2022
Feasibility Study: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Fixed Facility Serving Champaign County and Nearby Counties, October 2021 Final

The Illinois Materials Management Advisory Committee Report to the General Assembly, July 1, 2021
The Mahomet Aquifer Protection Task Force 2018 Report, Task Force Members
Improving Household Hazardous Waste Collection Options for East Central Illinois, ISTC Reports TR063, June 2016

• • Details household hazardous waste (HHW) collection options available to residents of a seven-county study area in East Central Illinois.
  • Includes an overview of HHW collection activity statewide and a detailed review of existing HHW collection options in the study area as of January 2013.
  • Summarizes federal and state regulations relevant to HHW collection, best management practices associated with HHW collection in the study area.
  • Suggests a strategy to improve HHW collection options.

A Regional Water Supply Framework for Champaign County and East-Central Illinois, Section 6, Champaign County RPC, October 2016

• • Strategies to encourage regional cooperation in protecting the quality and quantity of surface water