Poisons Illegal in Garbage & Drains Hazardous Waste Hazardous Waste Collection Poisons need special handling to avoid toxic exposure for waste workers, the community, and the environment. City Specific Disposal OptionsPlease check with your city page (residential or commercial) to confirm if additional options are available, such as home collection, drop-off locations, and/or events. (These options vary per city.) Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Drop-OffYour city or county may offer HHW drop-off sites and collection events.– Los Angeles County: S.A.F.E. Collection Centers and events– Riverside County– San Bernardino County– Ventura County Disposal Options For BusinessesHazardous waste cannot be placed in your containers. Schedule a Special Waste Collection by emailing [email protected] or calling Athens’ Customer Service Department at 888-336-6100. Fees may apply. Some HHW drop-off centers may allow drop off by small business generators (check links above). Never Dump Down the Drain Poisons are a type of hazardous waste that can contaminate drinking water sources and threaten human health. Keep poisons out of the trash, and never pour down the drain. Damaged? Contain and Dispose Dispose of a poison if there is damage to the container, such as if it is punctured or the label is illegible. Pack any damaged poison bottles into another empty container to prevent it from leaking. Poison-Proof Your Home The EPA recommends that every household do a room-to-room poison safety inspection, especially if there are children in the home. Check out the the EPA’s handy PDF checklist of action steps for poison-proofing your house. Ways to Reduce Use Up Completely It’s best practice to only buy as much as you need. Not leaving partially filled bottles of poison around the house limits your exposure to this hazardous substance, which is damaging to your health and the environment over time. Choose Traps Instead Instead of buying poison for a critter issue, consider trapping them instead. Poison exposure is harmful to your health and also leaches into the environment. Additionally, animals killed by poison can continue to poison other animals in your neighborhood, such as pets and wildlife.