Rocky View County provides residents with convenient access to the safe recycling and disposal of unwanted, leftover, Household Hazardous Waste (HHW).
HHW disposal is offered year-round at select Waste & Recycling Centres, as well as at the Agriculture Roundups during the summer months. Year-round HHW collection sites include Bragg Creek, Langdon, Irricana and Cochrane.
HHW Roundups 2023
- September 23: Elbow Valley Fire Hall
31040 Lott Creek Drive
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- June 24: Bearspaw Lions Club
25240 Nagway Rd
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
What is Household Hazardous Waste?
HHW is waste that is made up of solid or liquid materials, or containers holding gases, which have outlived their usefulness.
Many paints, cleaners, automobile care products, solvents, pesticides, herbicides, stains and varnishes contain toxic or hazardous components. Once exposed to the environment, these substances may threaten living organisms. Small quantities accumulate over time and contaminate the air, water, and soil.
Products that are flammable, corrosive, explosive, or toxic should not be disposed of in landfills or sewage systems.
Most of the hazardous materials in homes can be identified by the following hazard symbols:
- Flammable
Burns easily (painting wastes, degreasers, and other solvents)
- Corrosive
Eats away surfaces and skin (rust removers, alkaline cleaning fluids and old batteries)
- Reactive/Explosive
Reacts violently when mixed with other chemicals, under pressure or heat (aerosols)
- Toxic/Poison
Poisons or causes damage to living organisms (materials containing heavy metals like mercury, lead or cadmium)
How to Dispose of Hazardous Waste
Discarding Household Hazardous Waste in the garbage or washing it down the drain can be dangerous to both families and the environment. To dispose of HHW:
- Keep materials in their original containers, or ensure that the containers are well labeled.
- Do not mix different products together.
- Tightly cap all containers.
- Bring them to one of the County’s HHW collection sites or Agriculture Roundups. Most of the waste will be recycled into new products. The rest will be forwarded for safe disposal in a specially designed chemical landfill.
Unacceptable Materials
Ammunition, explosives, biomedical wastes, asbestos, PCBs, commercial waste, fireworks, and radioactive waste cannot be accepted at Roundups or Transfer Sites. Ammunition, powder, primer, and other explosive materials should be delivered to a fire or police station or a local RCMP detachment.
Visiting a Disposal Site
Once you reach a site an attendant will:
- Record your name, address, phone number and the community you live in.
- Check the types of materials you are dropping off.
- Direct you to the location(s) to drop off material.
When at the bin or location to drop off material:
- Sites have one-way traffic; follow the flow.
- Sites have two lanes, please park near the appropriate bin to let other vehicles pass
- Adhere to the instructions on the signs; they are posted for your safety.
- An area will be set-up with barrels that are labeled with the types of materials acceptable in each. Some sites have a designated area for used oil.
- Take the time to place the material in the correct bin or area so it can be processed properly.
- If in doubt, leave it out and locate an attendant in a safety vest for advice on where the materials should be placed.
To get in and out of the transfer site quickly and safely remember:
- Be considerate and patient when dropping off your materials.
- Over 400 vehicles can pass the gates at some of the sites. Watch for traffic as you move from one area to the next. Consider coming early, or during the week when it is less busy.
- Bring age-appropriate people to help unload your materials.
- Staff are not available to assist with the unloading of any items.
- Materials left at sites before or after the scheduled times are considered illegal dumping and will be dealt with accordingly.