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Make an HHW Drop-Off Appointment

Environmental Health Services

Divisions / Environmental Health Services / Waste, Recycling & Safe Disposal / Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Program / Make an HHW Drop-Off Appointment

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop-off appointments are free for all San Mateo County residents.

Select Your HHW Drop-Off Day, Time, and Location

IMPORTANT NOTICES: Scroll down to see all cities. HHW drop-off events occur in Daly City, East Palo Alto, Half Moon Bay, La Honda, Menlo Park, Pacifica, Redwood City, San Mateo, and South San Francisco. Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) events may be canceled due to poor air quality.

Here are the steps you need to take:

IMPORTANT NOTICE – Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) canisters are not accepted through the San Mateo County Household Hazardous Waste Program. Please Contact Blueline Transfer Station at 650-589-4020 for full acceptance requirements.

  1. Review the program rules and requirements and list of items that are and are not accepted through the program.
  2. Choose a day, time and location that’s convenient for you using our online appointment system. Or you may call 650-372-6200 to make an appointment. Your name and address are used strictly to confirm that you live in San Mateo County. This information is not shared with anyone or for any other purpose.
  3. Arrive at the drop-off location that is sent to you once you finalize your appointment at the selected appointment day and time.
  4. Once at the drop-off location, stay inside your vehicle at all times. Our friendly professional staff will unload your vehicle while you wait.

Need to drop off some HHW?

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Program Rules & Requirements

How To Prepare your HHW for Transportation and Safe Management

There is a limit of 10 Gallons or 50 Pounds of Waste per Appointment. State regulations prohibit you from transporting more than 10 liquid gallons or 50 solid pounds of hazardous waste in your vehicle at one time. If you have more than 10 gallons or 50 pounds of waste, you can make multiple appointments.

If your waste exceeds this amount:

  • Estimate the amount of actual product in the container.
  • Make one appointment per vehicle for each 10 gallons or 50 pounds of hazardous waste.
  • Make additional appointments as needed.
  • Drop-off 10 gallons at the first appointment, return to your home and pick up the remaining 10 gallons, then return to the drop-off location to dispose of your remaining waste at your second appointment.

There is no limit to the number of appointments you may make per event, but you cannot transport greater than 10 gallons per vehicle load/appointment.

Limit: The Program Cannot Accept Containers Larger Than 5 Gallons

The Program only accepts containers that are 5 gallons or less in size. If you have waste in an oversized container larger than 5 gallons:

  • Get buckets with lids that are no larger than 5 gallons in size.
  • Transfer waste from larger containers into the 5-gallon buckets and secure the lid.
  • Label the 5-gallon buckets with the name and description of the original product.

IMPORTANT: KEEP YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES SAFE. DO NOT MIX ANY WASTE.

Prepare for your appointment by following these steps:

  • Keep your waste in its original, non-leaking containers.
  • For waste in original containers with intact and legible labels, place items in boxes or crates — this is best for keeping waste containers upright for safer transport, avoiding spills. Do not use plastic bags.
  • For waste without a label, or not in the original containers, please tell County staff what it is, or otherwise attach a label indicating what it is.
  • Do not place items in plastic garbage bags.
  • For fragile or leaking containers, place them in a larger container such as a large bucket with a secure lid to safely contain leaking material.
  • Place the waste containers upright in sturdy cardboard boxes or bins.
  • You may line the box or bin with plastic — do not use plastic bags alone.
  • Place the prepared wastes in the back of your vehicle.
  • If you would like to keep your waste container (e.g. red gasoline can), make an appointment at a collection event in the City of San Mateo.
  • Remove any other items not intended for disposal from the back of your vehicle.
  • Avoid bringing pets or plan to keep them secured.
  • REMEMBER: NEVER MIX WASTE. IT’S DANGEROUS.

What To Expect At Your Appointment

Staff will greet you, take a brief survey and unload the waste from your vehicle for you.

  • Stay inside of your vehicle.
  • Turn off your engine.
  • Extinguish any smoking materials.

HHW FAQ

We are limited to how many cars we can handle at each collection site. The appointments allow us to manage this limit, as well as minimize your wait in line.

We send you an appointment confirmation that includes the address and driving directions to the drop-off location.

You don’t! A technician will greet you when you drive up. As staff checks you off the appointment list, turn off your engine and unlock your doors. Staff will then unload your waste for you. Then you drive away.

You don’t! State regulation requires you stay inside your vehicle at all times. Staff will unload your vehicle for you while onsite.

Upon your arrival, it only takes about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how much you bring, and if there is another resident being serviced ahead of you.

The San Mateo facility is open Thursdays through Saturdays, so if you call a day ahead, you’ll get an appointment the next day. At other locations, it depends on the collection schedule.

There are multiple drop-off locations. After you make your appointment, you will receive a confirmation that includes the address and driving directions to the specific location you chose.

The drop-off addresses are not listed in an effort to prevent illegal dumping when we are not open. It also minimizes unexpected drop-ins at collections that are already booked to capacity.

A resident is limited to transporting up to 10 liquid gallons or 50 solid pounds of household hazardous waste.

Resident participation requirements are due to the Program’s storage capacity limits, state regulations and for your safety.

Yes! Just remember that you are still subject to the transportation limit per vehicle. Drop-off 10 gallons at the first appointment, return to your home and pick up the remaining 10 gallons, then return to the drop-off location to dispose of your remaining waste at your second appointment.

Do your best to estimate how much is inside the containers (the actual amount) not the size of the containers.

Example: If you have 20 half full 1 gallon paint containers, that would be equal to 10 gallons of waste.

Make additional appointments. Example: If you have 20 gallons of waste, make two appointments. Do not transport all of your waste at once.

Drop-off 10 gallons at the first appointment, return to your home and pick up the remaining 10 gallons, then return to the drop-off location to dispose of your remaining waste at your second appointment.

If you have waste in containers larger than 5 gallons, find enough empty, non-leaking containers (smaller than 5 gallons) and carefully transfer the waste into smaller containers.
Never mix different wastes.

Technically, no. The regulation only allows the resident of the home where the waste is coming from to transport it. If you are unable to drive, call us for other options!

For waste in the original containers with intact and legible labels, no. But if you have anything without a label, or not in the original container, yes. Please tell us what it is, or otherwise put some kind of label on it that indicates what it is.

No! Please use boxes or crates. Do not use plastic bags. Boxes do a better job of keeping the waste containers upright for safer transport so that nothing spills.

Yes! Just let the technicians know when they greet you which containers you want back.

For gasoline cans, it’s best to come to the San Mateo facility where we can pour the waste into our larger drums while you wait. At other locations, please call us to make arrangements for getting it back.

Any product container we receive that is half-full or more, still has the original label, is intact and not leaking is diverted to our FREE public Product Give-Away Program. Over 50% of the waste is recycled, while the remaining waste is either reused, burned for fuel energy or otherwise properly disposed of. Nothing goes to the landfill.

No. San Mateo County residents can bring their HHW to the drop-off location for FREE!

We are open Thursdays, Fridays and most Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the San Mateo location. We are also open in other cities on specific Saturday mornings.

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