Introduction
Only certain solid chemicals are allowed in the trash. Hazardous chemicals are not allowed in the trash, and many dust generating chemicals are not allowed either.
King County Waste Division gives trash authorizations for chemicals on a case-by-case basis. We maintain a list of authorized chemicals. Trash authorizations must be renewed by EH&S every three years because toxicity information on those chemicals can change. Check back occasionally to make sure your chemical may still be disposed of in the trash.
If your chemical waste is not on the list, you must have it collected by EH&S as hazardous chemical waste.
How to throw away your chemicals
If your chemical is on the list of items allowed by King County, you must securely double-bag it and label it "non-hazardous" so that custodial staff know it is safe for them to handle. They reserve the right to refuse to pick up your trash if they think it contains hazardous waste or if it is not securely bagged.
Authorized chemicals that you can place in the trash
We maintain a list of chemicals authorized by King County for trash disposal. Check this alphabetical list to see if your chemical is authorized for trash disposal.
Trash authorizations typically must be renewed by EH&S every three years because toxicity information on those chemicals occasionally changes. Check back to make sure your chemical may still be disposed of in the trash.
Prohibited hazardous materials
The following hazardous materials are always prohibited in the trash. Click on the links for the correct disposal options for some of these hazardous materials.
Empty chemical containers
Please see our empty container guidelines for more information about throwing away empty containers.
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