Household Hazardous Waste

Household Hazardous Waste

Have you heard of household hazardous waste? Do you know what it is or how to get rid of it? Well, the Pala Environmental Department is here to help! Household hazardous waste is products that can catch fire, react, or explode under certain circumstances or that are corrosive or toxic. These items along with universal wastes (batteries, pesticides, thermometers, and lightbulbs) cannot be thrown away in the regular trash or recycling. It is important to store these items safely until they can be properly disposed of. Products should be stored in their original containers whenever possible –  they have been designed to keep the hazardous materials contained. Also, check the product labels for proper storage.

If you are not sure if a product is hazardous look for these words on the label: danger, warning, toxic, caution, poison, flammable, corrosive, or reactive. Make sure to keep these products away from children.

It is also a good idea to try to reduce the number of hazardous chemicals in the home. You can choose safer, less toxic alternatives or make your own. For example, if you need a good general-purpose cleaner, mix one tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice with one quart of water. You can always reach out to us if you need more ideas.

Household Hazardous Waste Examples

• Aerosol cans
• Automotive fluids
• Batteries
• Light bulbs
• Car oil filters
• Pool chemicals
• Nail polish

• Paint/turpentine
• Pesticides
• Cleaning products
• Printer ink
• Antifreeze
• Solvents
• Propane

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Events

The Pala Transfer Station (PTS) only accepts household hazardous waste (HHW) from Pala Tribal members, residents, and employees for free during quarterly HHW disposal events. These events are the only time that the PTS will accept HHW.

Bring your Tribal ID, a piece of mail with your Pala address, or your employee ID when bringing HHW to a disposal event. HHW will NOT be accepted from anyone who is not a Pala Tribal member or who lives or works outside Pala.

Household Hazardous Waste Red Bins

The Pala Environmental Department has red bins that can be used to safely store your HHW until it is time for a collection event. Until then, just make sure your HHW is property contained, in a secure, leak-proof container, and not mixed with other chemicals or cleaners.

Prevent Trash Fires

Restricted Materials in Trash

Help us prevent trash fires! Never put the following items in the trash:

• Bullets/unspent ammunition (see below for where to dispose)
• Fuels (gas, diesel, propane, etc.)
• Aerosol/spray cans (empty or not)
• Batteries
• Chemicals
• Cleaners and solvents
• Motor oil

These materials can cause fires if they are disposed of improperly. All of them except bullets/unspent ammunition can be placed in your red Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) bin or taken to the Pala Transfer Station during quarterly HHW collection events.

Bullets and Ammunition Disposal

To dispose of bullets and unspent ammunition:

• San Diego County Sheriff’s Department: call the non-emergency line to coordinate disposal: (858) 565-5200
• Riverside County Sheriff’s Department: call the non-emergency line to coordinate disposal: (951) 955-2400
• California Gun Services will safely dispose of ammunition. Contact them through Ammo Guy at (714) 809-2022 or complete their online Contact Form.

Information

For questions about safely transporting ammunition, contact the San Diego Fire Department’s MAST line to speak with an explosives expert: (619) 236-6815

Questions

Contact the Pala Environmental Department at 760-891-3510, the Pala Transfer Station at 760-742-1781, or come see us at the Pala Administration Building.