Hazardous household waste
Cans of paint, cleaning products, used oil, aerosols, used batteries and dead lightbulbs, etc.: Find out how to safely dispose of toxic, inflammable, corrosive or explosive products.
Hazardous household waste (HHW) must never be thrown away outdoors, in household waste, in the sewer, or put in the recycling bin with recyclable materials. They are polluting and dangerous.
Drop-off sites
Ecocentres
Visit an ecocentre to drop off your HHW. Before you go, find out more about fees, instructions and which materials are accepted.
Other drop-off points
Would you like to get rid of items you no longer need? You can see lists of different drop-off points offered by partner organizations.
- Acid/lead batteries: Garages
- Asbestos: You must go to an engineered landfill site or contact a private decontamination company. Fees may apply.
- Electronics: Association pour le recyclage des produits électroniques - see the map
- Expired medications and cough syrup: Pharmacies
- Mercury bulbs: RecycFluo - see the map (in French)
- Oil, oil aerosol, antigel, filters and empty containers: Soghu - see the map (in French)
- Paint and paint aerosols: Éco-Peinture - see the map
- Propane bottles: Filling sites - see the map (in French)
- Rechargeable and non rechargeable batteries: Appel à recycler - see the map (in French)
Some boroughs also collect used batteries and cell phones in certain locations.
Details
To be accepted, products must be in watertight containers of 20 litres maximum (no bins or bags).
- Adhesives
- Alcohol
- Primers
- Undamaged compact fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs containing mercury (Hg symbol on the bulb or light fixture, or mention of mercury on the package)
- Rust inhibitor
- Batteries (lead/acid)
- Propane tanks
- Aerosol cans
- Empty containers
- Fire extinguishers
- Fuel
- Paint remover
- Drain cleaner
- Degreasers
- Varsol™ type paint thinner
- Epoxy
- Oil filters
- Tar
- Oils: linseed, engine, vegetable
- Mercury
- Paints: latex, alkyds, enamel
- Pesticides and fertilizers
- Batteries
- Wood preservatives
- Chemical products for swimming pools
- Maintenance products
- Cleaning products
- Acrylic sealant
- Dyes
- Turpentine
- Fluorescent light bulbs
- Varnish
- Asbestos
- Cylinders of compressed gas other than propane: insulating foam, welding gas, helium, CO2 cylinders, etc.
- Biomedical waste (e.g., syringes): contact a healthcare professional (pharmacy, hospital, local community services centres - CLSC in French)
- Radioactive waste
- Pyrotechnic materials (fireworks, flares): take to the police station
- Medications: return to the pharmacy
- Firearms and ammunition: take to the police station
- Laboratory products
- Explosive products (e.g., picric acid)
- Any hazardous product in a container larger than 20 litres
Labeling of hazardous products
On hazardous products, there are usually one or more pictograms that indicate that the product is corrosive, flammable, toxic or explosive.
We have two objectives in collecting hazardous household waste:
- To protect the environment against potential sources of contamination.
- To give you an alternative to storing products in your home that could potentially be dangerous to your health.
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Need help?
Contact us if you have questions.