As I was changing out my sons batteries the other day on one of his favorite toys, the same old question popped into my head, ‘what am I supposed to do with these old batteries?’ I also think about this for a lot of common household hazardous waste items. Disposing of household hazardous waste (HHW) in the trash is illegal and may cause injury to your family or trash collector, and could end up harming the environment if not handled properly. To make sure you know how to handle disposing hazardous waste, I’ve compiled a list of proper disposal options for your household hazardous waste below.

Photo by Taelynn Christopher on Unsplash

Paint Recycling and Disposal

Learn more about how and where to properly dispose your unused or surplus paints:

City of San Diego Paint Disposal Brochure

PaintCare California drop-off locations

Most PaintCare California locations have a 5-gallon limit on the quantity of architectural paint they can accept. Paint containers must be 5-gallon in size or smaller. Leaking, unlabeled and empty containers are not accepted at PaintCare California drop-off sites.

There is no charge for dropping off paint at a PaintCare California drop-off site.

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Transfer Facility

The City of San Diego accepts unused and surplus paints at no charge to residents at its HHW Transfer Facility by appointment only.

Make an Appointment

PaintCare California

PaintCare California is funded by a “PaintCare Fee” which is added to the purchase price of new paint sold in California. The fees are based on container size as follows:

Container SizePaintCare Fee

Half pint or smaller: NO FEE
Larger than half pint and smaller than 1 gallon: $0.351
Gallon: $0.75
Larger than 1 gallon up to 5 gallons: $1.60

Household Batteries

All types of batteries are considered hazardous waste in California. Batteries may contain metals including cadmium, lead, lithium, mercury, nickel, silver and zinc. According to state law, batteries and other types of universal waste must be handled properly and are not allowed to be disposed of at the solid waste landfill.

Where to Recycle Batteries

Recycling Events

The City of San Diego offers eight (8) one-day battery and bulb collection events in the spring and fall. Please see the link below for upcoming event dates.

View event locations and dates.

Other Recycling Options Near You

There are other options to recycle household batteries near you.

View drop-off locations

Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Transfer Facility

The City of San Diego accepts all types of home use and automotive batteries at their HHW Transfer Facility by appointment only.

Make an Appointment

Battery Storage

Store used batteries sorted by type (alkaline, lithium, nickel-cadmium, etc.) in a safe, dry place and out of the reach of children. Use zip-lock bags or a plastic container with a lid. For an extra measure of safety, place clear tape over the battery terminals (battery ends). If a battery is damaged or leaking, immediately place the leaking battery into a plastic or zip lock bag and isolate from other batteries. Wear protective gloves when handling damaged batteries and wash your hands.

E-Waste (Electronics)

Electronic waste, or e-waste, includes household or office electronic devices in working or non-working condition that are no longer used. E-Waste is known to contain heavy metals such as mercury and lead, which if placed in the landfill, can harm people and the environment. Examples of e-waste include: