Household Hazardous Waste Acceptance Site

Non-Commercial Vehicles Only

Prince George’s County opened the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Acceptance Site in the spring of 2000. The site, which is located at the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill, is open and free of charge to County residents who need to dispose of harmful household waste.

Improper disposal of these materials is harmful to the environment:

Hazardous Waste Disposal Contract

To ensure the proper handling and disposal of the hazardous materials that are collected at the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Acceptance Site, the county has contracted with a licensed hazardous waste disposal company. The professional team oversees the collection of items and materials at the drop-off facility as well as the community collection events. As an added convenience, the site is designed to be a drive-through location.

County residents do not have to leave their vehicles to dispose of their unwanted items. A licensed hazardous materials company professional will remove all acceptable items from your vehicle and dispose of them in an environmentally safe manner.

Collection for Senior Citizens & the Disabled 

As of June 2022, at-home collection of household hazardous waste is no longer available. Individuals may utilize the drop-off facility, Thursdays through Saturdays, or hire a licensed HHW vendor to pick up and dispose items at a licensed facility.

Handling and Proper Disposal of Asbestos

The risk of developing asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma cancer, lung cancer and asbestosis increases with every exposure to asbestos. To ensure proper handling and disposal of asbestos we encourage you to visit the Asbestos website to learn why it is important to handle asbestos safely: www.asbestos.com. 

Latex Paint

Please note: 

While latex paint is not considered hazardous waste, residents can now drop off latex paint to the HHW Acceptance Site for proper disposal during its operating hours. However, residents are strongly encouraged to utilize the following methods for proper disposal of latex paint at-home: 

• Donate leftover latex paint to relatives, friends or neighbors who might need the paint for a project.
• Allow leftover paint to dry and place it in their regular household trash bag for disposal.
• Use kitty litter or quick paint driving agents that many of the paint stores sell in packets. Once the paint dries, place dried paint can(s) in your regular trash bag for trash disposal.

Propane Tanks

Extreme care should be observed when disposing of old propane tanks. Even when seemingly empty, they still contain flammable gas which could cause an explosion. Some important handling tips:

• Do not attempt to remove the valve from the tank.
• Do not leave the valve open as the escaping gas is a fire hazard.
• Transport cylinders in a secure and upright position.

Tanks/cylinders must not be mixed with scrap metal at the convenience centers or at the collection lot in the landfill. There is a dedicated area for propane tanks at the site where they are accepted and managed separately. When disposing of materials please, for your safety and that of the attendants, be sure to inform the staff if propane tanks are present, so they can be tagged and secured.

Safe and proper disposal is vital to the environment! 

For questions, please call 301-952-7625.

Used Motor Oil and Antifreeze

**As of June 13, 2023, the Missouri Avenue Convenience Center location cannot accept motor oil due to scheduled maintenance. Please dispose of these items at the Brown Station Road Convenience Center or the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Acceptance Site, located at the Landfill, during location operating hours. 

County residents may safely dispose of UP TO 3 gallons per visit of used motor oil and antifreeze at: 

Brown Station Road Convenience Center  
3501 Brown Station Road
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

Hours:
Monday - Friday: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
Saturday: 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Missouri Avenue Convenience Center**
12701 Missouri Avenue
Brandywine, MD 20613

Hours:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 6:30 a.m. —  3 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. —  6:30 p.m.
Saturday: 7:30 a.m. —  4 p.m.
Sunday: Closed

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Lot, located at the landfill 
11611 White House Road
Upper Marlboro, MD

Hours:
Thursday, Friday and Saturday ONLY: 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Batteries

Never place batteries in your regular trash or recycling containers. Household batteries, including alkaline and rechargeable batteries, cannot be landfilled because they contain acids and toxic metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel. 

Incorrect disposal of batteries causes high-risk fires while transporting and at County facilities! Dead batteries are not completely dead and must be stored and disposed of properly to prevent fires. Batteries must be recycled or dropped off at a designated facility.

Two Basic Types of Batteries

Rechargeable: These are a type of electrical battery that can be charged, discharged, and recharged many times. Laptops, tablets, digital cameras, cell phones, watches, cordless power tools, and car batteries use rechargeable batteries. These batteries are usually lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, nickel-zinc, or small sealed lead batteries.

Single-use or disposable: Alkaline batteries are the common household types found in remote control devices, clocks, flashlights, toys, smoke detectors, and other wireless devices. These are usually non-hazardous, however for safety, it is better to treat alkaline batteries as hazardous waste.

Proper Storage and Disposal of Batteries

ALL batteries:

• Prevent fire risks by putting a little tape over the terminals (ends of the batteries) until you are ready to dispose of them.
• After taping, collect used batteries in a container that won’t cause a spark such as a cardboard box or rigid plastic container (bucket, juice container, detergent bottle, etc.).
• Do not store different types of batteries together. If you have multiple types of batteries, collect and store by type. 
• Take or mail back batteries to a proper acceptance facility.
• Check the EPA website for a list of Electronics Donation and Recycling businesses at www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling.

View a video on the proper disposal of batteries

Proper Disposal of Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)

CFLs are being used in more homes and businesses than ever before. By using CFLs, consumers can save money and energy through reduced energy consumption and lower utility bills. CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury within the tubing - an average of 5 milligrams - and are safe to use in your home. However, the bulbs should be handled with care. Precautions should be taken to properly handle broken CFLs and to dispose of used fluorescent lamps.

Proper Disposal of CFLs

• Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage.
• CFLs are accepted at the HHW Acceptance Site.
• Consumers should check local hardware retailers in their area to ensure they accept used and unbroken CFL bulbs, like Home Depot. The bulbs will be recycled by an environmental management company to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance.

Proper Clean-up for Broken CFLs

• Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
• On hard surfaces, carefully scoop up broken glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels in a plastic bag.
• On carpeting or rugs, carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a sealed plastic bag. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken and place the vacuum bag and debris in a sealed plastic bag.
• Take the plastic bags to the HHW Acceptance site for proper and safe disposal.

Holiday String Lights

Residents can recycle old and broken holiday string lights from December 26th to the first week in February. During facility operating hours, residents can take old and broken lights to the Household Hazardous Waste Acceptance Site and the Brown Station Road Convenience Center in Upper Marlboro.

Residents can also check with local hardware stores to recycle string lights. The lights are shredded into tiny bits and the bits are sorted into various components that make up the lights such as copper, glass, and PVC. The individual components are then recycled.

Smoke Detectors

Most smoke detectors have a very small amount of Americium 241, which is radioactive (requiring landfilling at a low-level radioactive landfill).

Options for proper disposal include returning smoke detectors to manufacturers, as many accept their products back for proper disposal. 

Smoke detectors are also accepted at the HHW Acceptance Site, during operating hours. 

Medical Waste

Always keep medications and medical waste out of reach of children and pets. 

Never place medical waste, such as needles and syringes, loosely in your regular trash, recycling, and yard trim containers or leave items lying around your house. 

What are sharps?

“Sharps” describe medical devices with sharp points or edges that can puncture or cut skin, such as needles, syringes, infusion sets, lancets, Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) applicators, and auto-injectors. Used sharps are hazardous and should never be thrown loosely into the trash or toilet. 

Sharps may be stored in a durable container for later disposal. Your physician may provide a prescription for a medically safe disposal container. 

Proper disposal of sharps:

1. Immediately after use, place sharps needle-end first in a rigid plastic container with a cap or screw-on lid. 
2. Label the container "SHARPS" to ensure the hazardous waste is not recycled. 
3. When nearly full, seal and tape the lid in place with heavy-duty tape. 
4. Dispose of your sealed "SHARPS" container in your regular trash. 

Disposal alternatives:

• Consider a needle destruction device that either cuts or heats the used needle immediately after use.
  • Clipped needles should be disposed of in the same manner as all sharps.
• Take used syringes to a medical facility that accepts them. 
• Utilize a mail-back program, like www.sharpsassure.com.
• Register for an exchange program that accepts used syringes for replacement with clean ones. 

Search for local disposal options at www.safeneedledisposal.org. 

Visit the FDA's website for more information on used needles and sharps disposal.  

Prescription Drugs/Medication Disposal

• Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original prescription bottles or remove the label (to protect your personal information).
• Crush and mix pills, capsules, and liquids with an inedible substance like dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds. 
• Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag or the prescription bottle without personal information/label. 
• Dispose of the container with mixture in your regular household trash. 
• Recycle the empty prescription bottle if you used another container. 

Unless specifically noted, do not throw prescriptions down the toilet or drain.

Watch our video - Trash or Recycling in PGC: Prescription Bottles and Medication 

Visit the FDA's website for more tips on proper disposal of medications.

View the list of acceptable items at the Electronics Recycling Acceptance Site here.