NIAGARA COUNTY DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL / SOLID WASTE
WHAT DO I DO WITH...?
TRASH F.A.Q.
KEY
Accepted at a County Recycling Event
Accepted at the Hazman for a fee
177 Wales Ave., Tonawanda, NY 14150
APPLIANCES (REFRIGERATORS, AIR CONDITIONERS, FREEZERS, DEHUMIDIFIERS)
All local municipal collection programs allow residents to place a “bulk item” out for collection, which includes major appliances. Please check what is permissible in your community as bulk may be collected weekly or once per month. If you wish to dispose of a Refrigerator, Freezer, Air Conditioner and/or Dehumidifier, the refrigerant must be removed by a certified technician prior to placing at the curb. Please note that these items are NOT considered Electronic Waste. If you have the means to take metal appliances to a scrap yard, there may be value in the metal.
AUTOMOBILES
Several Not-for-profit organizations will gladly accept old automobiles or even boats, golf carts, ATVs tractors or even riding lawn mowers! Veteran Cart Donations and Breast Cancer Car Donations are two such organizations. Also, some local scrap yars may take vehicles for use as parts, too.
CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR
Consider donating these items to local charitable organizations such as AmVets and Salvation Army. Or, there are many locations across the County that host drop-off bins for used items. Keep in mind that stains and minor holes are acceptable, however moldy or tattered clothing should be disposed of.
DEBRIS FROM HOME PROJECTS
Single items such as a door or toilet may be placed out as a bulk item. Large amounts of bulky waste or debris collection varies for each City/Town. Please review what is allowed in your municipal collection program. Alternate services exist, such as purchasing a dumpster bag, taking items to a drop off point, renting a dumpster or contacting a debris removal company. Options can be found in our “Special Waste Brochure”.
ELECTRONICS
New York State prohibits the disposal of electronics at the curb. These items include TVs and monitors (both flat screen and CRT), computers and all peripherals, laptops, gaming systems, DVR/DVD/VCR players, printers, tablets and readers, fax machines, cable and satellite boxes and small servers. Many communities have programs for residents to drop-off e-waste. However, if your City/Town does not offer a service or you are a small business or Not-for-Profit Organization, we recommend you use Hazman (www.hazmanusa.com) to drop off your items.
EXPLOSIVES / AMMUNITION
For all non-emergency situations involving the secure disposal of ammunition, contact the New York State Police. For all emergency situations, dial 9-1-1. Please note that these materials should NEVER be placed in your trash or recycling.
FILM PACKAGING & PLASTIC BAGS
New York State law allows residents to take plastic film and plastic bags to anywhere where merchandise is distributed in a plastic bag. For example, Tops, Wegmans, Home Depot, Walgreens, etc. Plastic film is often found on the outside of a package- such as the wrap around cases of water, paper towels or other boxed goods. Film, wrap and plastic bags can all get returned to retail locations for recycling. Collection bins are often located near the front entrance of the retailer.
FOAM PACKAGING
Unfortunately our local curbside programs prohibit the collection of foam packaging as recycling. Packaging and “Peanuts” should be disposed of as trash or saved for reuse.
FURNITURE / CARPET
If certain furniture is in good condition, it may be donated to local charitable organizations. Most curbside programs allow a limited amount of bulk waste as part of weekly trash collection. For residents who wish to dispose of carpet, it must be cut, rolled and bound to no more than 18” diameter rolls no longer than four feet. There are limitations to how much can be placed at the curb each week, so we encourage you to look up what is allowed in your community.
GREEN (YARD) WASTE
Yard waste such as grass trimmings, prunings and leaves are separately collected from trash in many communities and vary by season. Most communities offer tree limb/brush collection as well. Limbs must be free of dirt and roots and placed in neat stacks no greater than three feet tall with the cut ends facing the road.
LIGHTBULBS
The “newer” style Curly-Q lightbulbs (called Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs or CFLs) can be taken to Home Deport or Lowes for recycling. All long Fluorescent Tube lightbulbs are considered Household Hazardous Waste and should be taken to one of the County events for safe management. If a bulb breaks, it is best to sweep the shards into a paper bag in a well ventilated area and dispose in trash.
PAINT
There are several options to get rid of unwanted Latex paint. As long as the contents are no longer liquid, all empty or dried paint cans should be thrown in your trash. You may also dry out cans 2/3 full or less by removing the lid and allowing contents to solidify in a well ventilated area. Full paint cans and all Oil based paint may be brought to any one of the County’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop off events. Please check our “Events” page for a list of dates. If none of the dates are convenient, you may take your items to Hazman (www.hazmanusa.com).
PHARMACEUTICALS
Old or unwanted medications should no longer get flushed. To avoid theft or accidental overdose, please take your unwanted medications to our secure drop off locations. We will accept all non-liquid medications “No Questions Asked” at the following locations: Niagara County Sheriff’s Office (enter at Jail), City of Lockport PD, City of Niagara Falls PD, City of North Tonawanda PD, Town of Lewiston PD and Village of Middleport PD. Collection bins are painted blue or green and located in the common area of each Police Station. Each location is open daily from 8am to 4pm. No Sharps, please.
PROPANE TANKS / FIRE EXTINGUISHERS / SMOKE DETECTORS
Compressed cylinders such as propane tanks and fire extinguishers cannot be placed out as trash. If your propane tank is not part of an exchange, Wendts Propane in Sanborn will accept them. Also, Hazman will accept all size propane tanks and Fire Extinguishers at Niagara County Household Hazardous Waste Events or at their location in Tonawanda for $10 each.
SINGLE USE BATTERIES and RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
Currently there is no infrastructure that exists to manage single use batteries (such as AA, AAA, C, D 9V). Due to a risk of fire, these items are NOT accepted at County Household Hazardous Waste events. Rechargeable Batteries may be returned to any retailer that sells them, such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, or Best Buy. These retailers have collection boxes placed in a common area for consumers to deposit old/unwanted batteries. Please also visit www.call2recycle.com for more information regarding drop-off sites.
THERMOSTATS
It is illegal for any person to dispose of a mercury thermostat. Any mercury thermostat can be taken to an HVAC Contractor or Demolition Contractor for safe collection. These devices are also included in Niagara County’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program.
TIRES
State law requires that retailers accept tires of the same size and quantity of new tires purchased or installed. Often residents are looking to dispose of old tires without purchasing new ones. If you wish to dispose of tires, you must take them to a retailer willing to accept them. Some local governments offer tire recycling opportunities to residents. Please contact your local City/Town office to inquire.