The boogie man under your bed or in your closet is imaginary, but the ones under your sink and in your garage are not. The average U.S. household has up to 8 lbs. of hazardous waste inside their home and up to 100 lbs. including garage spaces.
Hazardous wastes, materials including (but not limited to) household cleaning products, lawn, garden, and pool products, poisons, batteries, paint, oil, antifreeze, and flammable liquids are harmful to people and the environment and should never be thrown in the trash, poured on the ground or into gutters or storm drains, or flushed down the toilet or sink.
Residents and businesses in Boulder County, the City and County of Broomfield, and the Town of Erie are fortunate to have the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility (HMMF) as a resource dedicated to managing and reusing hazardous materials. Waste disposal for residents is FREE. Businesses should contact the facility for rates and to set up an appointment.
The HMMF had humble beginnings. It was housed at Western Disposal from 1991-2011 (20 years!) accepting material from residents 2.5 days a week. In 2011 it was relocated to the 4,000 SF building where it lives today, located just west of the Boulder County Recycling Center at 1901 63rd St.
In 2023, the HMMF served almost 20,000 households, managed 549 tons of waste, and achieved a 96% diversion rate. The top wastes collected by weight were latex and oil-based paint, motor oil and antifreeze, and alkaline and lead-acid batteries.
Lifecycle Management
Latex Paint: Totaling 183 tons in 2023, latex paint is far and away the largest category of product coming into the facility. GreenSheen, located in Denver, remixes and repackages it into eco-friendly, premium latex paint, selling it at a fraction of the cost of virgin paint. For a retailer near you visit greensheenpaint.com/retail/.
Motor Oil: Recycled motor oil is used as a rejuvenator for the asphalt paving industry.
Antifreeze: Antifreeze is filtered and reprocessed in Denver and sold into the fleet market.
Batteries: Cirba Solutions shreds the batteries, separating the metal from the chemical component, and reuses those in new battery production. Visit cirbasolutions.com.
FREE Reuse Center
15% of the waste dropped off at the HMMF was cycled back into the community through its FREE reuse program. Residents can shop for an astounding assortment of verified reusable paint and sealants, cleaning supplies, hobby products, and more.
Hazardous Waste Alternatives and Best Practices
As impressive as the diversion numbers are for the HMMF, the higher goal is to reduce the overall amount of substances that need to be managed. Here are some tips for managing and reducing your hazardous waste footprint:
- Consider alternative cleaning products you can make yourself with common household ingredients such as vinegar, borax, baking soda, and castile soap. Recipes can be found online. You could also check out the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safer Choice web page, which points users to products that perform and contain ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.
- Only buy what you need. Large containers and buying bulk don’t save money if they sit on your shelves for years.
- Excess material in their original containers can be donated for reuse.
- Don’t let material accumulate. Purge regularly (remember, it’s FREE!) to avoid leaching, degradation, and poison risks.
Boulder County’s Hazardous waste management facility serves residents on Wednesday-Saturday and businesses by appointment on Tuesdays. In addition to the waste previously mentioned, the facility also accepts vape devices, sharps, CFL bulbs and tubes, and 1 LB. propane cylinders.
Click here to visit their website.
