What You Need to Know About Asbestos, from the Vermont Department of Health

What can I do with my old paint?

Unwanted paint and paint chips are accepted from District residents at the District HazWaste Center, which is open year-round.  Used oil-based (alkyd) paint should never be thrown in the trash, even if it appears to have dried out. There is no charge for residential paint or paint-related products, with the exception of latex paint and joint compound.

There is a flat $2.00 fee for any amount of residential latex paint or joint compound. Latex paint and joint compound are not hazardous, and may also be allowed to dry out and then thrown out with your regular trash disposal.  Remove the lid and allow the paint to dry OR add kitty litter to speed up the process. Click here for more information on what to do with leftover latex paint.

Liquid latex paint in good condition that is brought to the the HazWaste Center will be recycled into new paint. For more information on purchasing locally-recycled paint, click here.

Furniture or wood covered with lead paint can be disposed of as regular household trash or construction and demolition waste.

Can metal or plastic paint cans be recycled?

At this time, metal paint cans are not recyclable as scrap metal at the District Transfer Station. They must be disposed of in the trash.  Plastic paint cans should also be kept out of your household recycling, even though they will often have a recycling symbol on the bottom.  Paint cans are not accepted for recycling because of the potential for residual paint left in the can. When mixed with rain water, leakage can occur and compromise all the other recyclable materials.

*Note:  There is a $2.00 fee per visit for any amount of residential latex paint or joint compound.

HazWaste Center Hours:

• The HazWaste Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to Noon, and Saturday from 9 AM to Noon.
• You can also check out the HazWaste Center days on the District Calendar

The HazWaste Center also accepts hazardous wastes from businesses that qualify as conditionally exempt generators. All businesses are responsible for paying the full disposal cost of their hazardous waste. Businesses must also pre-register and arrange an appointment time to dispose of hazardous waste.

If you are a business, call 388-2333, Ext. 22 for more information on generator status. To receive an appointment time, download the HazWaste Center CEG Registration Form.

What is household hazardous waste (HHW)?

Hazardous wastes are materials with hazardous ingredients in them. Product labels with the words “Danger”, “Poison”, or “Warning” should be kept out of the regular trash. Some hazardous products found around the home include:

• Pesticides
  • Weed killers
  • Insecticides
  • Fertilizers with weed killer
  • Wood preservatives
  • Rodent poisons
• Paint products
  • Paints and thinners
  • Paint removers
  • Stains and varnishes
  • Epoxies and adhesives
• Cleaning products
  • Drain openers
  • Oven cleaners
  • Metal or furniture polish
  • Spot removers
• Automotive products
  • Gasoline
  • Solvents
  • Brake fluids
  • Transmission fluids
  • Antifreeze
  • Batteries
  • Polishes and wax
• Other
  • Thermometers and thermostats containing mercury
  • Fluorescent light bulbs
  • Batteries
  • Pool chemicals
  • Photo chemicals

For more information, see:

• A more inclusive list of examples of household hazardous waste waste.
• How to Dispose of Sharps and Syringes
• Learn About Toxics: an interactive guide to commonly encountered toxic substances
• What should I do with my leftover latex paint?

Save Time and Hassle:

• Be Careful! Make sure your hazardous waste is securely packaged to avoid spills during transport.
• Empty paint cans are trash, not hazardous waste. If you have empty paint cans, let them dry completely, leave the lids off and put them in your regular trash.
• Propane Tanks: We do NOT accept full or partially full propane tanks. Please use ALL your propane and bring only completely empty tanks to the transfer station in Middlebury for recycling.
• NOT ACCEPTED: Laboratory chemicals, fireworks, flares, explosives, ammunition, smoke detectors, radioactive waste, and medical waste.

Used motor oil, and all vehicle crankcase and gearbox oils including gear oil, hydraulic fluid, motor oil, power steering fluid, transmission fluid, 2-cycle oil, and bar and chain oil are accepted at the District Transfer Station.

Residents and businesses may bring used oil to the Transfer Station during all normal operating hours.  Call ahead if you have large quantities of oil (388-2333).  Also please call first before bringing oil in containers greater than 5 gallon-size.

Please note:  For safety reasons, spill prevention, and possible contamination issues,  customers should NOT pour off their own oil at the Transfer Station.  Instead, place oil containers upright with lids intact in the black plastic storage trays located adjacent to the large tank.  If you need your empty container back, a Transfer Station Operator will pour your oil for you while you wait. 

Ideally, the used oil container should be clear or translucent so that District staff can visually inspect the contents.  All used oil must be free of contaminants such as water, gas, diesel, antifreeze, transformer oil (PCBs), etc.  Containers should also be sturdy, with no holes, cracks, or other leaks.  The lid should be securely attached.  Please transport containers safely.  If containers are in the back of a pick-up truck, please be careful to secure them so that they do not tip or fall over.

NOTE:  Empty plastic motor oil bottles are not accepted locally as recyclables and should be disposed of with your regular trash.

Cost:  There is no fee for small amounts of uncontaminated used oil from District residents or businesses.  Businesses with large quantities of used oil may be charged fees if large containers (drums) must be managed, or if testing of the oil is required.  If used oil is found to be contaminated, the District may charge the full disposal cost for the contaminated material. 

Oil Filters

Did you know that even after draining, a used oil filter may still contain up to 40% of its total capacity?  Residents and businesses may bring oil filters to the District Transfer Station for proper recycling.  The filters should be drained, and may be either crushed or uncrushed.  The fee is $0.25 per filter, or $35.00 for a 55-gallon drum full (crushed or uncrushed).  Fuel filters are prohibited, and should be brought to the District HazWaste Center.

If you are a business looking to recycle your oil filters, please see the Fact Sheet on Oil Filters from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.

Unregulated Medical Waste

Also known as Home Generated Medical Waste, includes syringes, sharps, and other medical waste such as bandages, dressings, or medical bags that are generated from home medical use, and not adminstered by a licensed healthcare professional.

Bandages, dressings or medical bags should be placed in a separate container, sealed, and clearly labeled before being placed in the regular household trash.

See this article for more information on how to dispose of syringes and sharps from unregulated medical waste or home generated medical waste.

Regulated Medical Waste

This is the portion of waste generated in the medical industry which requires special handling and treatment prior to disposal. For detailed information on treatment and disposal requirements please refer to the State of Vermont Handling and Treatment of Medical Waste Procedures.

What is Regulated Medical Waste?

The following types of solid waste are considered Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) if generated in the medical industry or by a health-care professional while in your home.

• Pathological Waste: human blood, blood products, and other body fluids. Any liquid waste including blood, blood products, or items saturated or dripping with blood or other potentially infectious body fluids
• Cultures and shocks of infectious agents
• Sharps (used or unused): objects that are capable of cutting or penetrating the skin and inducing subdermal inoculation of an infectious agent. This includes needles, Pasteur pipettes and scalpel blades.
• Animal waste: animal carcasses, body parts, bedding and other items from animals that are known or suspected by either the Department of Health or the Department of Agriculture of being contaminated with organisms that can produce disease in humans; and that disposal by burial or other ordinarily acceptable means would not sufficiently reduce the risk of transmission of a disease to humans or other animals
• Chemotherapy waste
• Infectious isolation waste: biological waste and discarded materials contaminated with blood, body fluids, excretion, exudates or secretions from humans who are isolated to protect others from dangerous incommunicable diseases
• Biotechnological by-product effluents: any discarded preparation made from genetically altered living organisms