Solid Waste and Recycling

     

Thurston County's HazoHouse
What should you do with dangerous household products? Bring them to Thurston County's HazoHouse!

HazoHouse offers a convenient way for residents to safely dispose of toxic products that could otherwise harm family members, pets, wildlife or the environment.

HazoHouse is a drive-through facility. For your own safety, please do not  walk into the HazoHouse area.

 

 Photo courtesy Portland Metro.
Location: Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center, 2418 Hogum Bay Road NE in Lacey. From I-5, take Exit 111, head north on Marvin Road and turn east into the facility entrance. HazoHouse is next to the blue bins.
Hours: Friday, Saturday Sunday and Monday only, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Fee: Free for residents. (Businesses pay a fee to use HazoHouse.)
Swap Shop: At the "Swap Shop" area of HazoHouse, residents can donate or pick up usable products such as auto products and household cleaners. (Paint is not accepted at the Swap Shop.) Incoming products are checked to ensure they are in good condition, and then made available free of charge to the public. Available materials vary day-to-day. Some days the Swap Shop may be full; other days, empty. Please be aware there is no guarantee the product you seek is available.
    

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Prepare items for HazoHouse safely. The risk of fire, explosion and spills exists when transporting hazardous items. Be sure to store items upright in boxes or tubs. DO NOT bring items loose in bags! Make sure containers are sealed and not leaking. Store acids and oxidizers separately, away from each other and other hazardous products. Keep the items out-of-reach of children and pets.

Materials Accepted at HazoHouse

To determine if a product is hazardous, look for the words POISON, DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION on the label. Please bring waste in five-gallon containers or smaller. The following items are accepted:

  • Auto products (used motor oil, filters, antifreeze, car batteries, brake fluid). Several local business also accept these items, click here for details. There is a limit of 3 car batteries per customer per day.

  • Oil-based paint.
    Note:      HazoHouse no longer accepts latex paint unless it was manufactured before 1989, when latex paint sometimes contained lead or mercury. Click here for tips on latex paint.
  

 

 

 

When packing up items to bring to HazoHouse, place similar items together, upright, in boxes or tubs. Do not pile items on top of each other."

  • Thinners and solvents

  • Pesticides 

  • Glues and adhesives

  • All types of batteries EXCEPT standard alkaline. The contact points of the batteries must be covered with tape. Click here for details on this requirement. (There is a limit of 3 car batteries per day for residential customers.) Residents may take alkaline batteries to a battery recycler or place them in the trash. Businesses are still required to take alkaline batteries to a recycler due to state and federal law. (Interstate Batteries on Martin Way in Olympia still accepts alkaline batteries.) Batteries can also be recycled at several other locations that may be closer to your home.

  • Solvents and cleaning supplies

  • Pool and hobby chemicals

  • Fluorescent light tubes, yard light bulbs and their ballasts (Please bring no more than 30 tubes or bulbs per day per customer, and no more than 15 ballasts per day per customer.) DO NOT tape tubes together, or they may break when separated. Click here for important safety tips and other locations.

  • Contaminated kerosene and gasoline

  • Propane tanks (no need to de-valve), 20lb/5 gallon or smaller standard barbecue tanks only. There is a limit of 3 propane tanks per day for residential customers.

  • Used motor oil (please bring to the self-serve station near entry to HazoHouse). Used motor oil is also accepted at several auto-repair businesses throughout Thurston County.

  • Products containing mercury (Do not break fluorescent bulbs; transport them in their original boxes if possible. Place thermometers in their original containers, too, or in two zip-lock plastic bags.)

Items Not Accepted at HazoHouse

  • Alkaline batteries from households.

  • Empty containers and/or leaking containers

  • Medical waste

  • Explosives, flares, fireworks

  • Ammunition

  • Radioactive wastes

  • Smoke detectors

  • Fire extinguishers (discharge at home into a bucket or garbage bag and discard with the trash)

  • Computers, monitors, TVs or electronics (click here for other options)

  • Latex paint  manufactured in 1989 or later (click here for other options)

Questions:  Call 867-2491 or e-mail wwm-webmaster@co.thurston.wa.us. 
Last updated: 01/28/2010