You can find hazardous materials in almost every home, from paint and stain to fertilizers and
pesticides. While they are helpful, the real problem comes in trying to safely dispose of them.
Throwing such items down the drain or sending them to landfills is not good for the wastewater
system or the environment.
Luckily, the City of Visalia/Tulare County Household Chemical Waste Collection facility located at 335
North Cain Ave. provides a safe and convenient place to discard environmentally-harmful materials
free of charge. The facility is open year round, but on Saturday’s only from 8AM to 1PM. Please call
713-4531 or click on the HHHW Brochure to find out what can and can't be accepted as hazardous
materials.
REMINDER - The Houshold Hazardous Waste Collection Facility will be CLOSED
on December 24th, 2011.
The following items are NOT accepted at the Visalia Household Hazardous Waste
Collection Center:
Ammunition - Call (559) 713-4250
Appliances - (See Appliance information below Compressed Gas(Butane, lighters, propane cylinders, etc.) Propane tanks - exchange for new or take to propane company for disposal.
Electronic-Waste - (See E-Waste information on the recyling link.)
Explosives (ammunition and fireworks). Call...713-4250
Medicine & Prescriptions - Kaweah Delta Hospital, 1600 S. Court
Radioactive Waste (smoke detectors)
Televisions (See E-Waste information on the recyling link.)
Propane Tanks The best advice is to exchange the container for a new one. If you cannot exchange
the old tank for a new one, BS&E and other companies, that sell natural gas, accept this size tank as
well as other sizes. The company can appropriately empty the remaining gas and dispose of the
container.
There may be a minimal cost involved. Please call these companies before you visit them.
According to EPA, propane tanks should never be thrown in the trash, they can explode.
Tulare County landfill will accept tanks without valves. The tank is metal and is recyclable...can be accepted at the Dump on Us events as long as there is not valve.
Sharps Disposal
In order to properly dispose of used sharps please visit a local pharmacy where you can purchase
a sharps mail back container. Most container purchases include the mail back costs. This makes it
as easy as filling your container and shipping it back in your prepaid container. For a list of mail back
systems approved by the California Department of Public Health click here: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/medicalwaste/Documents/MedicalWaste/SharpsMailBackList.pdf
For more infomration visit:
http://www.tularehhsa.org/index.cfm/public-health/environmental-health/medical-waste/household-sharps-disposal/
