Resources for Household Hazardous Waste Collection Programs
Below is information on complying with the rules for, and organizing, a household hazardous waste (HHW) collection program for your community. Some of the following documents are in portable document format (PDF). (Help with PDF.)
Resources and Tools
Steps for Organizing a Collection
- Advance Planning
- Step One: Funding
- Step Two: Hiring a Licensed Hazardous Waste Management Firm
- Step Three: Selection of a Date(s) and Location(s)
- Step Four: Public Education and Publicity
45-day Notification Form
The rules 
require operators to submit a notification 45 days prior to starting collection activities. You must resubmit a notification if information about on-going collections changes. These requirements applies to any type of HHW collection, including the following:
- one-day events
- recurring events
- permanent collection centers
- curbside or household pickups
- mobile collection units
If you are conducting collections at more than one location (except for curbside or household collections), you must file separate notifications for each location.
Download the form Notification for a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event (TCEQ-20459), which is in Word format (.DOC). (Help downloading files.)
Annual Report Form
Operators of household hazardous waste collections are required to annually report the amounts of household hazardous waste and household materials they collect.
Each year, operators must submit a report by April 1 for the amounts collected in the previous calendar year.
Download the form Report of Household Hazardous Waste Collected (TCEQ-20474), which is in Word (DOC) format. (Help downloading files.)
Storage Extension Request Form
Operators of household hazardous waste permanent collection facilities are required to transport all HHW collected within 10 days of receipt. In order to keep this material longer than the 10-day period, an extension request must be submitted prior to the 10-day deadline.
Download the form Storage Extension Request for HHW Permanent Collection Facility (TCEQ-20598), which is in Word (DOC) format. (Help downloading files.)
Advance Planning
To hold a successful household hazardous waste collection, advance planning and organizing are necessary. Allow at least six months lead time to carry out the following organizing activities:
- The TCEQ regulates household hazardous waste (HHW) collection events. Read the governing rules. The rules state what information you must submit and what is expected.
- Identify, contact, and involve all potentially interested groups. Some good sources are city officials, county officials, environmental groups, local river authorities, fire departments, civic organizations, newspapers, radio and television stations, health groups, local chemical manufacturers, and local businesses.
- Hold an initial planning meeting with all interested groups. Set an agenda to include decisions on the following:
- type of collection: periodic collections or ongoing collection (permanent drop-off sites),
- financing methods,
- materials to be collected (types of household hazardous waste, other wastes are recyclables, etc.)
- public education programs and survey forms for collection event,
- locations and dates for collections,
- hiring a licensed hazardous waste firm,
- sources for recruiting volunteers and for food or drink for volunteers,
- regulations (such as putting together operational plans and submitting notification), training requirements,
- publicity for the event(s) and recognition for volunteers, and
- non-hazardous waste disposal options such as dumpsters.
Encourage the group to be creative in organizing, publicizing, and financing the project. Work out tasks to be done and a timeline to complete them. Try to get each member of the group to complete a task before the next meeting.
- Involve local news media as much as possible. This is the best way to reach citizens about your event. Send letters to the editors of local newspapers and press releases to all local media outlets (radio, television, newspapers, newsletters).
- Hold follow-up meetings to discuss the progress of each committee.
Step One: Funding
Money is most often the limiting factor in implementing a collection program. Costs can include sorting, packaging, transportation, and disposal of waste, as well as printing brochures and purchasing minor equipment.
The TCEQ Regional Solid Waste Grants Program awards grants for HHW management and disposal costs are an allowable expense. Check with your local Regional Council for more information. Other sources for funding may include:
- local or regional chemical manufacturers,
- solid or hazardous waste disposal companies,
- corporations with branches in your area,
- civic groups (Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs),
- grants through private foundations or public interest groups,
- user fees: charging participants a fee at the site,
- additional fees on utility bills (for example, 25¢ per month on a utility bill), and
- Adopt-A-Barrel (businesses pay for the disposal cost of a barrel of waste).
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Step Two: Hiring a Licensed Hazardous Waste Management Firm
The selection of a hazardous waste management firm is paramount to the success of any collection event. Evaluate collection firms using several factors, including:
- compliance with TCEQ regulations,
- price,
- service,
- safety record,
- experience with similar projects,
- qualifications of personnel,
- past or pending litigation against the company,
- available disposal facilities, and
- current disposal and transportation licenses.
The firm must be able to clearly identify the types of waste collected, including identifying unknown wastes. If the contractor cannot accept certain types of materials or unidentified waste, this should be spelled out in the contract.
A contract should clearly state how the material will be packaged (lab packed, bulked, consolidated), how the price will be determined (flat rate or per drum), and the disposal methods.
Though there are restrictions on waste disposal, some classes can be disposed of by several methods. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established a preference ranking of methods of handling household hazardous waste:
- Reuse and recycle as much as possible.
- Treat the remaining waste in a hazardous-waste incinerator.
- Dispose of any residual household hazardous waste in a hazardous waste landfill.
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Step Three: Selection of a Date(s) and Location(s)
Select a date that doesn’t conflict with other community events. Volunteers are difficult to find when other community-wide events are scheduled for the same day.
Carefully consider location when planning your collection. The following issues are important when selecting a site:
- central location,
- accessibility,
- traffic flow, and
- size and configuration.
Using city- or county-owned property may involve fewer restrictions than using private property.
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Step Four: Public Education and Publicity
Your public education program should include these key points:
- Identify what household products containing hazardous materials can be brought to the collection.
- Identify the environmental and health benefits of proper use and disposal of hazardous products.
- Provide information on the use of substitute products that have less of an impact on the environment.
Publicize early and widely to gain support for and participation in the project. Utility-bill inserts and newspaper and broadcast ads are good methods for disseminating information. The first phase of publicity should be educational, so people will know the project is important. A few weeks before the actual collection day, publicize again. This time emphasize:
- when the event will occur,
- where it will take place,
- what can and cannot be accepted at the collection,
- how to transport materials safely to the event (PDF), and
- who may participate (for example, only citizens of your municipality)
Here are a few additional publicity tips (PDF).
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Contact Information
For more information organizing a collection of household hazardous waste, or on HHW programs in Texas, please contact the TCEQ by calling 512-239-3143; sending an e-mail with "HHW" as the subject, or writing to us at the address below.
TCEQ
Household Hazardous Waste Coordinator
MC-113
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, Texas 78711-3087
