The Household Hazardous Waste program accepts hazardous products free of charge from Otter Tail County residents and disposes of them safely.
Drop Off Locations
- Household Hazardous Waste Facility in Fergus Falls
- Household Hazardous Waste Mobile Collection Calendar
The Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program was established to properly dispose of household generated hazardous waste. Many household chemicals and items such as batteries, fluorescent lightbulbs and paint should never be disposed of in the garbage. These items can be harmful to you, wildlife or the environment if they are mishandled.
We recycle many of the items, or offer good items back to the public free of charge at our Product Exchange area at the HHW Facility. Not sure how to dispose of something? Need a reminder about the next HHW mobile collection? Just ask the Waste Wizard!
How do I properly dispose of batteries?
Battery disposal can be confusing! Any rechargeable or lithium battery should be brought to Household Hazardous Waste for proper handling.
Alkaline batteries are safe to put in the trash, as they are no longer contain mercury.
For more information, view or print this battery disposal guide.
Lithium and other rechargeable batteries should always be brought to HHW.
What can I bring to HHW?
| Antifreeze | Aerosols | Adhesives | Batteries, rechargeable | Brake Fluid |
| Button batteries | Carburetor cleaner | Caulking | Concrete sealer | Concrete cleaner |
| Charcoal lighter fluid | Car wax or polish | Crack filler or putty | Degreasers | Driveway sealer |
| Drain cleaners | Furniture polish | Fuels: gasoline, kerosene, etc. | Fertilizer | Fluorescent lightbulbs (10 per household) |
| Herbicides | Insecticides | Latex paint | Leather cleaner | Mercury thermometers |
| Mercury thermostats | Metal polish | Mothballs | Nail polish remover | Oil paint |
| Oven cleaner | Pool chemicals | Paint thinner | Roofing tar | Rodent killer/bait |
| Solvents | Stain | Spot remover | Sharps, safely contained | Turpentine |
| Used oil and oil filters | Varnish | Wallpaper remover, paste | Wood preservative |
What is not accepted?
- The HHW facility does not accept business waste except for fluorescent bulbs from businesses which are accepted for a fee. Please call ahead. CASH OR CHECK ONLY.
- Business bulbs are NOT accepted at mobile collections, no exceptions.
- Prescription medication – Take it to the Box!
- Vehicle batteries – take these to a transfer station.
- Electronics or appliances – take these to a transfer station.
Household Hazardous Waste Reuse Program
To promote reuse and decrease the disposal of usable products that come into Household Hazardous Waste, we operate a Reuse program to give usable products back to the public for free.
Residents can visit the Reuse Area to get free automotive, cleaning, painting products, and more.
Choose the least toxic product for the job
A fraction of the many chemicals in use have actually been tested fully for human health and safety. Check for signal words on products to determine the level of hazard. Often a harsh chemical product isn’t really needed.
Most of your basic cleaning needs can be addressed with simple and safe ingredients you already have in your cupboards – including salt, lemons, vinegar, borax and baking soda. Mixing up your own glass cleaner, all purpose cleaner, and other household products saves you money, protects family and pets from unnecessary chemicals found in conventional products, and reduces the amount of trash you make by not relying on plastic bottles of products from the store! Lots of recipes can be found online and in books, but here are a few to get you started!
Collection Event Reminders
To sign up for reminders for any of our HHW Mobile Collections use the Waste Wizard!