Most U.S. households produce more than 20 pounds of hazardous waste each year. Unused chemicals, paints, fertilizers, pesticides and more can harm the air you breathe, be a risk for children or pets, and even be a fire hazard.
When hazardous materials are thrown away, they may be a threat to our health, safety and environment. These products may pollute the drinking water, or put poison into the soil, land and air. Look for key words on the label: CAUTION, WARNING, DANGER, and POISON.
The dangers of throwing away these products may not be easy to see right away, but certain types of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) may:
- Poison septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets.
- Pollute rivers, lakes, and streams if poured into storm sewers.
- Can be harmful to children and pets if left around the house.
- Make our ground water and drinking water unsafe.
- Cause harm to our first responders/firemen.
How can we lessen our household waste?
- Don’t buy more than the amount you need.
- Donate leftover products to friends or community organizations.
- Recycle HHW products by taking part in a local household hazardous waste collection day.
Upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days: Only residential household hazardous waste is accepted. Please put your household hazardous waste in boxes. Paint in one box, and other materials in a separate box. If you are not sure what something is, keep it away from other materials.
Butler County: Saturday, April 15, 1:30pm – 4:30pm at the Butler County Fairgrounds North Entrance, 62 L Street in David City, NE. Thank you to the Polk County Slammers 18U Softball Team for your partnership.
Seward County: Saturday, April 15, 8:00am – 12:00pm at the City of Seward Storage Lot, 880 S Columbia, Seward, NE. Thank you to the City of Seward, Seward County Chamber & Economic Development Corporation, Fehlhafer’s, Inc, and Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction for your partnership.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days will be coming to Polk and York counties in 2024.
For questions or to learn more about Household Hazardous Waste, call Four Corners at 402-362-2621 or 877-337-3573 or email at info@fourcorners.ne.gov