County Announces 2023 Household Hazardous Waste Events

Columbia County Announces 2023 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Schedule

Each year, the Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department hosts several no-cost Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection events throughout Columbia County. The HHW Collection Program allows residents to drop off various toxic and unsafe materials that are not permitted in the regular disposal or recycling process.

There will be a total of seven collection dates in 2023, open to residents county-wide. The 2023 Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collection Event schedule is available on the Columbia County website.

Items must be in containers not larger than five (5) gallons and should be secured safely during transport. Your household hazardous waste must be in your vehicle's bed, trunk, or hatchback - not the passenger compartment. Unloading may take a few extra minutes as extra safety measures will be in place. Please be patient, and please remain in your car. Trained household hazardous waste technicians will unload materials from your vehicle. Examples of acceptable items:

• fireworks and flares
• gas / diesel / fuels / motor oil / antifreeze
• lawn and garden chemicals
• herbicides and pesticides
• pool and spa chemicals
• light ballasts—must be removed from light fixtures
• fluorescent tubes
• art and hobby chemicals
• solvents and thinners
• items containing mercury
• propane and compressed gas cylinders
• batteries – all types and applications
• cleaners and detergents
• poisons
• paint and paint products (latex and acrylic paint, oil-based paint, enamel, stains, lacquers, shellacs, varnishes, primers, etc.)
• cooking oil
• medical sharps in OSHA-approved, puncture-proof containers
• ammunition 

The Transfer Station’s normal disposal fees for automotive batteries, antifreeze, and fluorescent tubes are waived during HHW Collection events. Unwanted paint, used motor oil, and used cooking oil are always free to dispose of at the Transfer Station during regular business hours.

Medical sharps in a sealed, self-closing, puncture-proof, OSHA-approved container are received, at no cost, at the Transfer Station Scale House during business hours. Columbia County residents can enroll in the FREE Sharps Containers Exchange Program at the Transfer Station Scale House.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office accepts expired or unwanted medication at 901 Port Ave., St. Helens. They are open 7 days per week, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Place items in the MedReturn collection box.

The county collects hazardous waste and disposes of it through safe, environmentally responsible practices, which in turn protects the health of our communities and the environment. For more information, contact Jacob Anderson by phone at 503-397-7259 or by email at jacob.anderson@columbiacountyor.gov.

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ABOUT COLUMBIA COUNTY’S SOLID WASTE PROGRAM

Columbia County plans, organizes, and directs recycling, reuse, waste reduction, and household hazardous waste management programs throughout its 657-square-mile area. The county also operates a transfer station in St. Helens and administers the solid waste collection events within the county's unincorporated areas.